The Daughter of Jack Sparrow
by VJ Spencer
Summary: Before piracy, Cpt. Jack Sparrow had a quiet life. In this story, we follow the tale of his daughter Maleen, as she tries to become reunited with her much-loved father, who left her eight years ago and never returned. Maleen must find her only family, but along the way learns things she never before thought imaginable...
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Maleen

Maleen was a dreamer. She always knew what she wanted to do in her life, always knew where she wanted to go, how she was going to get there – and, most importantly, she was never afraid to go after her dreams. Her greatest dream, that she had had since she was six years old, was that, one day, she would go out looking for her father on a grand ship and bring him home, back to Port Royal.

The thing is, Maleen was also one of those people who wasn't very wealthy. She lived in an unused alley way, beside a small house and owned only a small number of items. She was dirty and her clothes were torn and infested with grime. Her hair was of the darkest of blacks, and her eyes were a beautifully clear blue – they twinkled when any light shone on them.

Maleen was a lovely girl: imaginative, intelligent, and polite, most of the time, to those who were nice to her – but, due to her lack of wealth, she was usually looked down upon by everyone who came her way. Most adults who lived on the island of Port Royal were snobby and all wrapped up in their own business. Whenever they ran into Maleen on the cobbled roads, not once had they stopped to apologise. She was a 'nobody' – poor, worthless, dirty; according to the people who yelled at her just for being in their way. So, Maleen stayed out of everyone's business as often as she could; talking only to an extraordinary dog of hers called Fido.

Fido was extraordinary for many reasons. He was grimy, just like Maleen in some sense, but did not act like any dog should do. He looks like one, yes – with the four legs and the mussel, with the golden fur and wet nose, big brown eyes and the waggy tail – but Fido's personality was definitely different to any ordinary dog. He couldn't speak, as such, but was very good at explaining what he wanted with actions and subtle movements. It was as if he could understand exactly what Maleen was saying when she spoke to him – he seemed to listen and react as necessary. Nothing can be proved, though, that Fido was any more than just an intelligent dog.

But, even though Maleen was a lovely girl – inside and out – she had a hidden secret that no one was allowed to know. No one - at any cost. She had promised not to tell when she was a very small girl – not to tell the big secret that was forbidden at all cost, with no exceptions at all. Maleen had promised her mother that – promised never to tell, not another person on the earth. And if she did break that promise, she could never forgive herself. Her family meant everything to her. If she betrayed either of her parents, she would have nothing else to live for. Her dreams would be over; she would never be able to go through with her biggest wish.

She could never tell.

Never.

No one must know that her father had a mark on his arm.

P

That was what it was – a brand, her mother had explained. She didn't know what it meant, but they weren't allowed to know – no one was.

Her mother had said that if anyone knew – anyone at all – they would die. Every one of them. All three: her father, her mother and herself. But it was too late for some of them. It was just two of them now – Maleen and her father. Captain Jack Sparrow. She hadn't seen him in years. The only picture she own of him was a small portrait that was worth a lot of money. Her father had given it to her just before he went away. He had placed it in a locket – an oval, silver one with her initials on it; M.S. It was worth everything to her – without that locket Maleen wouldn't know how she would live. It was the only real reminder she had of her father. If anything happened to it, she wouldn't know what to do with herself.

So that was why she was so determined. That was why her dream must come true. She would make it happen. That dream that she had had for years on end – one she had planned over and over inside her head. She would start her adventure as soon as she could.

She would find her father.

That was what she wanted, and what her mother's last wish had been.

"Find your father," she had said, "find him, and make sure he never gets away from you again..."

Maleen knew she would have gone after her father anyway – even if her mother hadn't written it in that letter – but she was going to find him. She had already put her mind on it. It was going to happen. She would see him again.

Her father.

Captain Jack Sparrow.

Maleen, his daughter, was going to find him. She had promised.

But, sadly – unknown to Maleen at the beginning - that dream had proved much more difficult to reach than any of her others.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Caught

One night, Maleen was gazing at her locket by the light of the stars: looking at the initials, stroking the engraved texture of them, clicking the latch open, looking wistfully at her father's portrait and wishing to be with him, then snapping it shut repeatedly. She sighed. Some of the memories from when she was small were sometimes so vague and blurry in her mind that it was sad. Sad that she could remember little about her time spent with her father. All she could remember very clearly was that he was wonderful – great, brave, heroic, funny and wonderful to cuddle up to on a cold night. She remembered when he used to play with her – let her imagination go wild out in the streets and they would pretend they were pirates hunting for buried treasure. Then one day, her father stopped playing games. He said that the game they played was too dangerous, and he went away on more and more trips on the sea. Maleen saw him less and less. Then one day he made that promise...the promise that he broke...

Maleen blinked hard and blocked out the rest of the memory. She refused to let herself see any of the bad things. They were wrong. Not right at all. Her father was wonderful – he broke no promises, and always played with her when she was little. That was the way she would remember him – wonderful, because that was exactly what he was.

She got up from leaning against the small house and walked over to the end of the alley. It had a great view. She could see the bay in the near distance – the moon and the stars casting reflections of brilliant white light onto the Caribbean Sea. It was a lovely warm night – comfortably warm, not the kind of heat that made you sticky with sweat – and Maleen smiled. She loved it when it was like this; quiet, romantic, and dark. When it was dark no one could see her – no one could shout or yell at her, no one could see the sparrow in flight that was tattooed on the top of her right forearm – that was another thing her mother had told her to keep a secret, as soon as Maleen decided to get it a few years ago – as an extra memory. The tattoo must not be seen by anyone in the red or blue uniform. Maleen hadn't been told why, and she hadn't asked. All she knew was that the tattoo must not be seen.

She looked at the sea and the small waves rolling up the small sandy beach. She looked at the dock and the ropes and the little rowing boat with both ores and the...

Wait a second...rowing boat...

She looked again, just to be sure – but it was definitely there.

Maleen couldn't believe her luck. She glanced up and down the alley and what she could see of the beach. No one would notice. No one would know if she just took the boat and went on her way. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for her – this may be her only chance to start her dream. This may be her only way off this stupid island that had imprisoned her all of her life.

"This is perfect!" whispered Maleen, half to herself, half to the sleeping dog at her feet, "Come on Fido, good boy! Quick, before someone sees and catches on to what we're up to!"

The dog didn't move for a moment. He just opened his eyes sleepily, glared in a lazy kind of way, then settled back down to sleep again.

He was a lovely dog, usually, but Fido did love his sleep.

"Come _on_, Fido!" Maleen hissed in a harsh whisper, yanking at the string that was tied around Fido's neck – a makeshift collar, "You _know_ how much this means to me! It may be the only way I can see my father again. We have to go, we _have_ to!"

Fido did a deep sigh, but still didn't budge from his cosy corner in the alley. He looked up at her with great brown eyes.

"Not gonna work this time," Was all Maleen said – half to herself, half to the golden retriever – as she hauled the dog off the floor and yanked on the string around his neck to get him to follow her. Sleepily and lazily, Fido did as he was told. His tail wasn't wagging, though, and there seemed to be a small furrow in his brow – was he frowning? Maleen could just about tell that he was.

She ignored Fido's grumpy mood and they both sneakily made their way down to the harbour. The sand was extra soft under Maleen's bare feet as she hurried across to the rowing boat that sat waiting for them on the shore.

Maleen couldn't believe what she was doing when she sat down in the little boat – Fido climbing in after her. She was about to steal something. Not something small and easily replaceable like a slice of bread, or a piece of fruit. This was a _boat_ she was stealing. Granted, it wasn't a very big one; but a boat is a boat and Maleen was about to take one without anyone's permission.

Was it worth it? Maleen wasn't sure. She had waited her whole life for something like this, but was committing theft the way to do it? Couldn't she ask a man at the dock politely if she could possibly join him on his next voyage?

No, Maleen decided, they would only be mean to her. She could already hear the voices in her head, the laughter, and the mockery. It wasn't worth all that. It felt horrible being treated that way and Maleen couldn't afford to pay them. Theft it would have to be.

She checked that she had everything that she would need for the next few days – her locket, of course, a few pieces of food that she stuffed in her pockets, a letter that was very important to her and, last of all, a compass.

This compass wasn't just any compass, not to Captain Jack Sparrow, anyway. Maleen had no idea what was so special about it – it was just a compass to her. It looked like one – black, with a gold rim around every edge and a latch to keep it shut – what more was there to it? But her father had told her not to open it – not unless she absolutely needed to.

Did she need to use it now? Maleen looked at the small little box-like shape that lay in the palm of her hand; it was attached to her belt with a thin piece of string and swung about a bit whenever she walked. She had made yet another promise to her father that she would only open it if it was absolutely necessary – was it necessary now?

Her thumb stroked the latch of the compass.

'_I could open it_,' She thought, '_just one look wouldn't do any harm..._'

But Maleen couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't lift up the latch, no matter how much she willed her fingers to do so. Deep inside she knew it was wrong. She had made a promise – and she was going to keep it.

Maleen huffed sharply and shoved the compass down again. Too many promises to keep – all of them to do with her father. There were so many secrets she had been kept away from when she was younger. She understood that she was only six when her father had left home, but someone could have at least told her where he was going, and when he would be back.

"Won't be long," was all he had said, before kissing her on the top of the head and walking up the gang plank to his boat; the _Wicked Wench_. A few other people had been there too – none of them that she knew – but they had all waved to her when the ship had pulled away from the dock. Maleen's six-year-old self had no idea when she would see her father again, but she knew she would – that was one of the promises that he had told her, and Maleen had known from the very moment he said it, that that promise would be kept – even if her father wasn't the one to make it happen.

Maleen shook away the thoughts that were about to plague her mind – the bad things, the things she wasn't allowed to remember – and grabbed the oars of the little rowing boat. Just as she did, and began to row, yelling came from the door of a small pub that was on the corner – a fair distance away from the shore. It looked like two men were drunk and Maleen thought nothing of it at first...not until they walked into the moonlight that is.

Not until she saw the clothes they were wearing.

The red coats and the tricorne hats.

Marines.

Maleen had been taught to steer clear of these people from when she was a very young age – they were usually very intimidating with the way they all walked in unison, holding guns and looking scary. These guys weren't exactly scary – from the way they walked Maleen guessed they weren't quite sober; obviously been drinking – but Maleen knew that they would cause trouble if she wasn't careful. A young teenager sitting in a boat in the middle of the night wasn't exactly unsuspicious; especially one that looked like her. Anyone could tell she wasn't wealthy. They would put two and two together and come after her – no doubt about it.

Maleen began to think quickly.

What was best to do? Begin to row and hope they didn't notice her? Run away and hide? Go up to them and try to persuade them to let her get away with it?

None of them were good ideas; the men were already heading for her, straightening up their uniforms as they did so. Maleen looked around frantically for inspiration – surely there was _something_ she could do?

Meanwhile, the men were getting closer. They were almost on the beach, and their pace was quickening.

Maleen had no idea what she should do and climbed out of the boat as fast as she could. She began to run across the sand - followed closely by Fido who has sussed what was going on – away from the guards and the shouts that were following her.

"Hey! Wait! You, girl! Stop!" One of them was yelling after her.

"Wait! Stop! Girl, stop running now! Stop! _Stop!_" Shouted the other.

Maleen didn't do as they asked. She glanced behind her once to see how far away they were and just kept on running across the sand after that. They were gaining on her – getting closer by the second.

"You, girl! I said _stop!_" The first one shouted again.

'_As if I'm just going to do that,_' Maleen thought as she kept on running.

Suddenly there was a yelp of pain and Maleen noticed that Fido was no longer running beside her. She glanced at the floor that was just behind her as well, but there was still no sign of him.

Maleen then realised that the guards were no longer yelling to get her attention, and she could no longer hear the sound of boots as they hit the sand. They weren't following her.

She finally skidded to a halt and looked back to where she had previously been running. There, a couple of yards away, was Fido – being held at the scruff of the neck by one guard.

Maleen froze.

"Took you a while to notice, didn't it?" The first one laughed, tightening his grip on Fido's fur so much that it made the poor creature yelp.

"You wouldn't _dare_," Maleen hissed, walking forward ever so slowly.

"Watch me," said the guard who had a hold on Fido – he gave Maleen a sinister smile.

The other marine took his gun and placed it under Fido's chin; pulled back the hammer – loading it. He then gave a last look at Maleen – almost giving her a second chance – before slowly beginning to pull back the trigger...

"Stop!" Maleen yelled, she noticed the marine smile before he looked up at her – his face serious, but mocking, "What do you want from me?"

"What do we want from you?" He repeated, chuckling, "_what do we want from you?_"

"Don't you know what you were doing over there with that boat?" The other one asked, "You were stealing – that's a criminal offence. We have to take you to prison, by law, and then, as you're just a child, Cutler Beckett can take care of you. We'll let him decide your fate."

"But, Mullroy, I thought Beckett was out at sea at this moment in time," The guard with the gun chipped in, his brow furrowed.

Mullroy sighed.

"When he gets _back_ from his trip – _then_ he'll sort her out." He said, "honestly, Murtogg – think about these things."

"But, doesn't that mean she'll be in the cell for a few days?" Murtogg asked.

"Yes, does that really matter?"

"Well, I just think it's a waste of space – we could use that cell for other prisoners."

"But that wouldn't be doing our jobs, would it? We can't just let her go now and ask her to come back in a few days – she'll have got off the island by then."

"Ah. Yeah, good point."

"Right then - back to our _prisoner_."

Mullroy looked back to where the little thief had been standing but he could see nothing but the sand and the footprints she had made. He knew the girl would never have just run off without her dog – she seemed very close to it. He had guessed that the dog would have been the perfect leverage to make her do things _his_ way, rather than her own.

But now she had disappeared. How strange...at least they still had the dog.

"You do still have the dog, don't you?" Mullroy asked Murtogg.

Murtogg had a blank expression, "Am I supposed to?"

Mullroy glared at him – he looked as if he was about to snarl – but then the cogs clicked together in their heads and they looked over to the rowing boat.

Maleen was there, sitting in the rowing boat and holding both of the oars. She was beginning to row and looking fretfully in the direction of where both of the guards were standing.

"Hey, look. There's the dog," Murtogg stated, smiling and pointing over to where the dog was – sitting in the little rowing boat, wagging his tail with his tongue hanging out, "Want me go get him for you?"

Mullroy looked daggers at him; "_Of course I want you to get after them!_ They're getting away! Go! Go, for heaven's sake!"

Maleen began to row even faster as soon as she realised the two men had finished their little argument and were after her again. She wasn't going especially fast either – and both of the marines were catching up with her...fast.

Before Maleen could do anything about it, the guards were only a few metres away. She tried to scramble out of the boat and run away from them through the water but as she jumped her foot caught on the rim of the rowing boat and she landed face-first into the water – banging her head against the seabed. After that she wasn't aware of what was going on around her...

She wasn't aware of when Fido jumped in a few moments after her.

She wasn't aware of when the marines caught up with them and hauled her out of the water.

She wasn't aware of when they handcuffed her.

And then they carried her, unconscious, all the way to a prison cell. Where they left her...carelessly.

Maleen opened her eyes.

It was dark in the cell, with only a single candle to light the entire room. It was sat on a table, on the other side of the bars, and the flame flickered slightly in the cool draft that wafted through the open, barred window.

She sat up from off the stone floor and squinted at the throbbing pain in her head. It hurt horribly – like a migraine or a bad headache – and was delicate to touch. She must have banged her head on the seabed harder than she thought; it hadn't hurt too much in the moment it happened. But, then again, she had fallen unconscious a second afterward. Everything had gone dark, and she wasn't really aware of what was happening around her, but Maleen knew where she was – it was obvious – in jail.

She leant against the wall of the cell and the pain in her head eased slightly.

'_Talk about a rubbish get away,_' she thought, '_this was nowhere near what I planned...I should be on my way now – finding my father..._'

That got her thinking about him - about her father; Captain Jack Sparrow. About everything they had done together in the six years he had been around. About how he had been such a big part of her life...and then suddenly disappeared with hardly any warning.

Maleen just couldn't make sense of why he had to leave – or why he hadn't come back yet, after eight years. It was so sudden, so rushed; like he had just decided that morning that he was going to leave. Without even realising, Maleen was thinking deeply. She was going over what had happened on that day – and what had happened since.

So much sadness. So much confusion. So many promises.

All caused in so little amount of time.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Life Story

Maleen remembered so clearly what had happened. She had remembered that moment because it was so special to her. She had treasured it, like she had done with her locket and compass.

She had woken one summer morning to her father leaning over her bed and stroking her hair away from her face. Maleen had smiled at him when he said good morning and held the hand that had been brushing back her hair. She remembered playing with his fingers – and the green jewelled ring that she had given him.

Maleen had found the ring at the market and it hadn't been very expensive so had given the man at the stall a shilling. The shilling had been a gift off her mother because she had been good earlier that week and Maleen had decided to buy the pretty ring when she was out for a walk on her own. She knew her father would love it – he was very interested in things like this.

Maleen had then climbed out of the covers and given her father a big hug. It was then that he told her the news.

"Maleen," he had began, coming out of the hug to look her directly into her eyes. Maleen loved looking at her father's eyes – they were a lovely dark brown colour and sparkled just like hers, "I'm going to go on a trip for a little while."

"Why?" Maleen had asked, "Can I come with you? With mother?"

"No, sorry sweetheart, but I'm going alone on this trip."

"Won't you be lonely?"

"No, my friends will be with me. I'm going on a ship, and they're going to help me look after it."

"But...I want to come...and why do you have to go?"

"You can't come. Sorry, Maleen, but I have to go on my own."

Maleen had frowned at this point. She stuck out her bottom lip and pulled down her eyebrows into her best sulky-face.

"I won't be long, I promise," Her father said, touching Maleen's nose lightly with his index finger, making her smile slightly, "It will be like when I sail around on my ship for my job – sending the cargo to different countries. You don't mind when I do that."

"But what are you going away for this time?" Maleen asked, "If it isn't your job?"

"Well...I just have a job that I think needs to be done; that's all that you need to know. It will change my life, and yours. It's going to be a good thing."

"Do you promise?"

"Of course," her father smiled, linking his little finger with hers like they always did when they made a promise, "I promise."

"And I promise to keep all of my promises I made," Maleen said.

Her father had smiled.

"I know you will," he said.

Maleen had smiled, then her father had said goodbye to her, kissed her on the forehead and went downstairs to say goodbye to mother properly. Then, in the afternoon they had all gone down to the dock and waved goodbye to him. He had looked sad as he waved – like he was smiling just to make everybody else happy. Maleen could tell that something was wrong, but he didn't answer her when she asked him. His smile had faded and Maleen had noticed his eyes begin to shine – just a little – then he had turned his back on them, concentrating on the sea before him. And that had been the last Maleen had seen of her father...

The jingle of keys brought Maleen out of her thoughts. She woke up from her flashback and realised her vision was blurry. Blinking, she tried to make it so she could see again – realising that she had been crying.

After wiping away the tears that had been rolling down her cheeks she looked to where the jingling was coming from. She saw that the sound was from a ring of keys that a dog had in its mouth. It was a tatty dog with brown, raggedy fur and lovely yellow eyes. He cocked his head on one side, as if wondering why Maleen had water coming from her face and wagged his tail expectantly.

"Want a fuss, boy?" Maleen asked, glad that there was something that would take her mind off things.

The dog looked at her and wagged his tail slightly harder. It swept across the floor behind him, collecting the dirt in neat, thin piles on either side.

Maleen crawled over to the bars of her cell and put her hand through them. The dog wasn't close enough for her touch – he was only just out of her reach.

"Come on, boy. Come a bit closer." Maleen said, waving her hand to get his attention. The dog just looked at it, then at Maleen's face.

"Come on, don't you want a fuss?"

The dog with the keys cocked his head to one side again. Then a sound like a bolt being pulled across echoed though the room, making the dog jump and run away from the cell, down another corridor.

"Damn!" Maleen cursed, under her breath as a marine closed the door behind him and began to head up the corridor towards her.

He stopped square in front of her, and looked down at her sitting there on the stone floor with sinister eyes.

"Hello there, little 'en." He said, smirking in a mocking way.

Maleen resisted the erg to snap at him. She hated it when people called her little.

"Tried to get your stuff back yet?" He asked her.

Maleen's hand instinctively reached to her neck – her locket was gone.

"Why did you take it?" She said sharply.

"Huh?"

"My locket, why did you take _that_ from me? Why did you take _any_ of my stuff? It's not worth anything and it's not as if I have any weapons."

"Felt like it, lass," he replied walking over to the table and picking up a silver chain. It was her locket – no doubt about it, "This would be worth quite a bit though, wouldn't it?" he said wrapping the chain between his fingers.

Maleen didn't say anything. She just watched as the man strolled around in the space in front of her cell, playing with the chain of her necklace. She glared at him – she was used to having bad treatment, but this kind of behaviour she couldn't stand.

"Stop it." She said harshly, "Stop it right now."

The guard chuckled and then crouched so he was looking directly into Maleen's eyes. "And what are you gonna do about it?"

Maleen just clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes. She knew the answer.

Nothing.

Maleen could do nothing to stop him, and he wasn't going to listen to her.

"Tell you what," he said, smiling in an evil manner, "I'll leave it here, where you can see it – not sell it or whatever – as long as I get a look inside."

"Why do you care what's inside?" Maleen asked, rudely.

"Do you want me to keep this little thing or not?"

"No, I don't want you to keep it at all. I want you to give it to me."

"Well stop questioning me then, and let me have a look."

"Fine." Maleen sighed, giving in. There was only a picture of her father in there – nothing special to an ordinary man like that guard.

The guard smiled in accomplishment, then opened the locket with nail-bitten fingers. He glanced once at Maleen with a mocking smirk before actually taking in the picture that was inside the locket.

Then his face turned grave.

And Maleen became overcome with a feeling resembling worry.

She hadn't expected this reaction. She had presumed that the man would simply look at the picture, laugh at what he saw; then throw the locket at her before walking out of the door again.

But he hadn't done that. He had looked at it, almost with concern for a number of minutes, studying the portrait. Before snapping it shut and throwing it back on the table.

"Mullroy was right about you," He said, smiling, "You are a little pirate after all. I don't see why they don't give you '_the_ _mark_' though...maybe they only give it to the adults...not sure..."

"What?" Maleen said, shocked and offended.

"You heard me, Pirate Girl."

"You must be mistaken," Maleen protested, "I'm no pirate."

He laughed, "That picture and your tattoo say it all." He chuckled, before walking out of the room and leaving no other explanation.

Maleen looked down at her right arm. The tattoo of the sparrow in flight was very visible now she came to look at it. The long sleeves on her thin, white shirt were pushed up to her elbows, revealing the marking for everyone to see.

She had broken one of her promises.

Maleen wasn't sure what to do.

Surely it hadn't been too important. It was just a tattoo –a simple bird that resembled her last name – that was all. She had gotten it to remind her of her father – a few years after he had left. But her mother had been furious when she showed her. She hadn't explained why but Maleen wasn't allowed to show it to anyone; not anyone.

But now someone had seen it – and Maleen could tell that something wasn't right. The guard had acted surprised, but pleased with what he had discovered. His smile had been dark and sinister - like something bad was going to happen, and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

'_I have to get out of her._' Maleen thought, looking up and down the corridor for some way to escape, '_Where's that dog with the keys? I'm good with animals; I could get them off him..._'

Maleen began to whistle, like she did when she wanted to get Fido's attention, but no one came.

'_He must be teasing some other poor prisoner,_' Maleen decided, '_like he did before, with me,_'

She huffed and walked over to the small, barred window. Everything was a sea of blues and blacks outside. The sky was beginning to lighten the slightest bit as it came to the very early hours of the morning. All the buildings and trees were black silhouettes with dark shadows that stretched out from behind them. The sea was still sparkling with the light of the moon.

It reminded Maleen of the night when she had lost everything else in her life. Her father had been gone for about three years, maybe four, and Maleen had waited for him every day since he had left, at the dock. Her mother had told her that he might be a while – her lack of faith showing clearly on her face - but Maleen waited. She sat on a low wall by the dock and watched the horizon, hoping that, by any chance, she would see her father's ship. She imagined him walking down the gang plank looking weary and sad, but then he'd see her there, waiting for him and he would smile. She would make everything bad go away and everything would be how it should be.

But one night - like the one where Maleen was stood in the cell, looking out of the window – she had come home in the dark to their little house on the quiet, cobbled road and opened the door. She had been greeted with the sight of her little kitchen – the table and the chairs, with the counters and the cupboards, filled with the pots and the pans – but something had been different, very different.

The table wasn't in its rightful place; it had been moved so it was at a diagonal in the kitchen, rather than being straight. The chairs had been pushed over onto the floor, or smashed into a thousand tiny splinters. The fire was still burning, but only just. Its usual flickering flames were now just glowing embers, giving hardly any heat or light at all.

The house was cold and dark. A candle sat on the table, letting Maleen see the rest of the room. Draws had been pulled open, wooden spoons taken out and thrown across the room, as had knives and forks. Dishes were smashed on the floor and counters, leaving a mess that Maleen's mother would have shrieked at the sight of.

But Maleen didn't scream. She looked at the room with her ten-year-old eyes and felt tears threaten to fall. They ran down her cheeks as she noticed the last final details of the room – the important ones.

There were pools of a red substance splattered around the room – smeared on the table, splashed on the floor; a large manly-looking handprint was printed in the stuff on one of the walls. And next to it, a smaller, more feminine looking one. And the one thing that was different – wrong – was that another person was supposed to be in that room, and they weren't. Her mother. Where was her mother? She was usually waiting for Maleen at this time of the evening, cooking supper. But she wasn't there. She was missing. Gone. Leaving on destruction and blood behind.

Maleen could guess quite plainly what had happened.

The scene formed in her mind, making more and more tears run down her cheeks and splash onto the hard wood of the table.

The marines; they had finally come for her.

Maleen's mother had been frightened of the red-coated men for a while – since father had left. She had hidden away from them, hiding her face and closing the shutters on the windows whenever they walked past. She had been terrified of them – and now Maleen knew why.

They had come, broken in perhaps although there were few signs of that. There were more signs of her mother's struggle to get free. The chairs turned over, as she had moved them out of her way in a desperate scramble to get to the door. The cutlery, maybe used as a weapon to protect herself from the men that had come for her. The blood - her mother's blood – had been shed. Those men had cut her, sliced her skin, so she would do as she had been told. But what had actually happened? Maleen hadn't been sure.

Maleen was wiping away the tears as she noticed a piece of paper sticking out of one of the drawers. It was white, but with torn edges that showed time had worn it slightly. Maleen walked over to it and pulled the parchment out of the drawer. She hadn't been able to read it well, but she understood most of the words.

Dear Maleen,

I wrote this letter as soon as your father told me he had to disappear for a while. I knew what would happen once he left, and I knew that he would be unable to return, but I didn't stop him and I want you to know that I am sorry for not doing so while I could.

I don't know what the scene before you looks like, as I couldn't plan how to leave the room. You know I would never go without a fight, so I'm guessing that the house is a mess. I'm so sorry, my love, that I couldn't fight them off longer. They were coming some day, but I didn't know when. I'm sorry for not keeping you safe any longer than I have done. I tried to, honestly, I did. I'm so sorry for leaving you alone.

I know you probably have many questions you want to ask me, but I'm sorry, my dear, you cannot. You will never see me again, Maleen. I have been sentenced to death for knowing and helping a pirate. I regret it so much now, as I have not only put myself in danger, but you, my only child, as well.

You have to promise me to run, Maleen. You have to run away from Port Royal and never return. If they ever find you, they will do the same to you too. You have to promise me that, if you cannot get off the island, or don't want to leave, you will stay away from those red coated men. They're a nasty piece of work. Cutler Beckett will, no doubt, be pleased to have killed me. He hasn't been happy with our family for a long time. Not since your father did something he shouldn't have. But don't blame him, Maleen. You know his job was to ship cargo to and from Africa? Well, one time, before your father left, the cargo was human – slaves, they were – and your father...disagreed with what was going on. Beckett wasn't happy. He gave you father a mark which means That is why he doesn't like our family.

I can give you one clue though; that mark on your father's arm that I told you about – the one you never saw, but I know he had - has something to do with it all. I am sworn to secrecy about what it means, though, for reasons I am also, forbidden to tell.

I do not mind dying if it means giving you a head start. I'm warning you now that Beckett will kill you if he ever gets the chance. He would never spare the life of any living creature. So, please Maleen, hide. Run. Just make sure you are not caught by any of them.

I'm sure you'll grow up to be just as I always imagined you would - strong, brave and fearless, just like your father. You were always so grown up after he left. You'll always be my little girl, though. I am so proud of you.

Find your father, Maleen, and make sure he never gets away from you again. I cannot tell you why he left, as he wishes me not to, but he did have a good reason, Maleen, so I must ask you not to be angry with him. He loved you very much, as you must know. You were both extremely close. I cannot break that bond between you and, when you find him – as a determined girl like you, I'm sure you will – tell him I love him, will you? For me. We were never married and our relationship hasn't lasted long – we met each other at such a young age and you were born soon after – but thank him for all the good times we have had together since we met. It's been wonderful having you in my family, Maleen. I'm so glad you were my daughter.

Don't forget me.

All my love,

Mother

-x-x-x-

Maleen had kept the letter safe. She cried every time she read it, and some of the ink had run where her tears had touched the paper. Maleen had memorised every word on the page, but kept the paper anyway – a reminder of her mother's handwriting. One thing that confused her though, every time she read it, was the line that had been crossed out. It didn't make sense why her mother would decide not to tell her something. But Maleen didn't dwell on it – she had bigger mysteries to solve.

The next day, at around noon, a hanging took place, but Maleen hadn't had the courage to go and watch it. She knew who would be there, with the noose around their neck. She couldn't do it.

She couldn't watch her mother die.

Maleen knew she would cry this time. That memory had been blocked out of her head for years because it was so upsetting for her to think about and now she had remembered it, she huddled in the corner of her cell – clutching her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself for comfort. She made no noise when she cried, just silent tears that rolled down her cheeks and splashed on the cold stone floor of the prison cell.

'_At least it will be all over soon,_' She thought, '_Mother was right. If I'm caught, they would do the same to me. I have failed you, mother. I haven't found father or delivered your message. I'm sorry. I understand if you are disappointed. I'm a failure. Everyone was right to be mean to me...I will be with you soon, and apologise in person._'

Maleen wiped her face yet again, getting rid of the tears that were on her cheeks.

'_At least it will all be over soon,_' she thought again, closing her eyes and burying her head in her arms.

She sat there for an hour or so, thinking about everything she had done wrong in her short life and wishing she had done things differently. Maybe if she had done things another way, her mother's life could have been spared. But it was too late now. Her mother was gone, and she would follow soon after.

After a while the jingle of keys came, once again, but Maleen didn't look up.

"Go away you stupid dog," she muttered, "You won't give me the keys. Go tease someone else."

She listened and heard the dog lie down on the floor. The ring of keys hit the floor with a '_clonk_'.

"I said go _away,_" Maleen snapped in a tired voice. She looked up to glare at the dog and was surprised by what she saw. She stared for a moment, before a smile formed across her face, "Fido!"

The golden retriever cocked its head to one side, still lying on the floor on the corridor. The ring of keys was in his mouth. He then yawned, dropping them on the floor.

Maleen hurried over to the bars of her cell and fussed the dog with enthusiasm.

"Oh, Fido! How did you _do_ this? Good boy, _good_ boy!"

Fido seemed to smile – his tongue hanging out of his mouth, panting evenly.

Maleen took the keys that were resting by Fido's front paws and found the right one that opened her cell. She had no idea how the dog had come across the keys, but knew she would never find out. It didn't really matter now, anyway. She was free – she was going to live.

Maleen grabbed her belongings quickly and checked that everything wasn't broken. The guards hadn't taken her letter – she had tucked between the thin material of her shirt and the skin of her shoulder; unseen by anyone.

In no time at all they were sitting in the rowing boat for the second time and, this time, no one saw them as they began their journey on the Caribbean Sea.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

Simon

Hours past and the two of them soon fell asleep. The little rowing boat soon began to drift further and further out to sea – the tide guiding it across the ocean, gracefully. Luckily, there were no storms in the area that they travelled, and so slept soundly until sunrise. They would have stayed asleep, though, if their boat hadn't hit something.

The little boat didn't hit it hard, just tapped against the side of the large ship a few times, getting the crew's attention.

"Captain?" One of them said, "There seems to be a...err...girl and dog over board."

"What?" The Captain had replied, "Impossible! Where?"

"Starboard, sir,"

"Well, then, hoist them up!"

The small rowing boat was soon hoisted up out of the ocean, with both of its passengers still resting inside it. Only when the crew dropped it onto the deck did they awake.

Maleen looked around her in a complete state of shock. Faces of men she had never seen in her life looked down at her – crowding her and making her feel uncomfortable.

'_Great,_' She thought, '_captured_ _again!_'

All of the men's faces looked stern, but curious. Why was this girl out at sea on her own? How old was she? Where had she got the boat from? Was she wealthy? Who were her parents? Did they know them? What was the dog called? Why was it with her? Had she escaped from a ship wreck? Were there any more survivors? How far away could it be?

The list was endless.

Luckily, another man barged through the crowd; making them disperse and giving Maleen a bit of breathing space. The new man who approached her had a good, slim figure and broad shoulders – he looked like he was in his early thirties. He was wearing a pristine Navy Blue and Gold uniform and had his dark brown hair swept back into a short pony tail behind his head with a black bow. He looked very powerful, and Maleen somehow knew she needed to respect him.

"Hello there Miss," He said politely, not offering a hand for Maleen to shake, "I am Lord Gulliver. Welcome aboard my ship – _The Gryphon_."

Maleen looked at him, not speaking for a moment. She didn't know what to say.

"So, are you going to tell us your name, miss?" Lord Gulliver asked. Maleen noticed that it wasn't actually a question, and she needed to tread carefully if she was going to avoid being put in yet another prison cell.

"Maleen, sir," She replied, trying to be confident.

"And what brings you so far out in these waters, _Maleen_." The Lord said the words as if he were testing it – as if tasting some kind of fine wine.

"Well...err...I'm, err, looking for my father...sir,"

"And who is your father?"

Maleen paused for a moment. Had she made a promise to her mother or father not to tell anyone that she was Jack's daughter? She couldn't recall one. Would it really be that bad if they all knew? Maleen remembered how the guard in the prison cell had acted once he saw the picture in her locket...maybe she should be careful with what she said.

"Come on, spit it out," Gulliver was saying, "We could help you find him. We might know him, know where he is."

Maleen's face lit up.

"Would you?" She asked, "Would you help me?"

"Well, you'll need to tell us who you are looking for first," He laughed – the rest of the crew joined in with him, "We can't help otherwise."

"Well...do you know Captain Jack Sparrow?"

The laughter stopped. Everything went still. All faces turned grave. All eyes looked at Maleen.

"Jack Sparrow?" Captain Gulliver repeated, "Captain Jack _Sparrow_?"

Maleen guessed that his reaction was not a good one.

"_Your_ father is _Captain Jack Sparrow_?"

"Um...err...yes."

The Captain looked out to sea for a moment. His face was stern, as if remembering something from the past. Perhaps a story he had heard...

"Do you know what your father is Maleen?" He suddenly asked, turning round with a smile. The crew didn't smile though – that smile wouldn't be a good thing, then.

Maleen found it an odd question. 'What was her father?' - What did that mean? He was human, if that was what he meant. But Maleen had a feeling it was more than just species that Lord Gulliver was after.

She gave him a confused look.

"Your father, Maleen Sparrow, is a _pirate! _And so, little one, so are_ you!_" He hissed the words right into her face, his eyes burning with fury and power. His breathing was heavier, his eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched.

Maleen gave him the exact same expression back for a second before replying to him.

"No he _isn't!_" She hissed back at him, "My father is _not_ a pirate! And neither am _I_. Neither of us have anything to do with _piracy!_"

"You are the daughter of Captain Jack Sparrow, are you not?" The Captain said, his voice rising louder with every word, he didn't give Maleen the chance to answer his question; "Therefore you are a pirate yourself! You have his tattoo as well, I bet! That's all there is to it, you little rat! Now take her away! Put her and the dog in the brig then give the girl '_the_ _mark_'!"

Lord Gulliver then disappeared into the crowd of people, as the men began to swarm around her. One crew member grabbed her arms, the other one got her legs, and between them they carried Maleen, kicking and screaming to lower deck.

"Let _go_ of me! Get _off!_ Put me down _right now!_" She kept ordering, but her demands were not met.

"Quit it, will you?" One of the smartly-dressed crew members, snarled in her ear, "Stop your moping; we aren't going to let you go."

Maleen eventually stopped her cries for help and was soon allowed to stand on her own two feet. She was thrown into the brig with little sympathy and they clicked the lock shut with grisly smiles on their faces.

Maleen sat in the dark and watched the ugly crew members leave. She was glad to be rid of them. They had stood and looked at her for a few moments and Maleen had found it unnerving. They had studied her. It definitely made her feel uncomfortable. It was only when Maleen had asked them what they were looking at, had they walked out of the room.

"You got some nerve to do something like that," A male voice said, from the shadows – nearly frightening Maleen out of her skin, "they beat me up when I tried being smart with them."

Maleen just stared at the shadows, trying to guess who was saying the words she was hearing.

There was a laugh, "No need to be scared of me – I don't bite."

Maleen felt as if she was supposed to laugh, but didn't. What this man had just said was anything but reassuring.

"What are you in here for, then?"

"I...I'm not sure really," Maleen replied, "They say I'm a pirate, but I'm not. I only stole one small dingy that no one would miss. That classes as a thief in my books, not a pirate."

"So, they had no proof that you are one?" The man asked, his voice had become concerned now, rather than scornful.

"Nope. But they did say something about my father being one too...He's not though. I know he isn't...He can't be..." She was talking mainly to herself as she said the last three sentences. Reassuring herself that those things were true. Her father wasn't a pirate...was he? The clues would fit together if he was. The reactions of people when they found out who he was, the way he had secrets that he wasn't allowed to tell her – probably because he didn't want her getting hurt, or thinking differently of him. He was always a pirate? That wasn't right. He had hidden it from her all these years? But...why? Why would he do that?

"He's Jack Sparrow, isn't he?" The man asked, breaking Maleen's trail of thought.

"Huh?"

"You're father. He's Jack Sparrow, right?"

"Captain, actually," Maleen corrected, "Captain Jack Sparrow. He was always very picky about his title – it means a lot to him."

"I can tell that you're his daughter."

"Really?"

"Yeah, 'course. You got his out-going personality, and I can see from here that you've got his tattoo." There was an unexplainable laugh, "you also got the same kind of hair and his twinkly eyes, not same colour, obviously, but the same sparkle."

"You know him, then?" Maleen said.

"Yes," there was a flat edge to his voice, "Yes, I knew him."

"You don't seem very pleased about it."

"Well I'm not, am I?" He replied, not snappy, but tired, "Who would be if a man used your fiancée as a hostage to get away?"

"What?" Maleen asked, "My father did that?"

"Yes," The man sighed, "I met him once before. We had a drink, got along pretty well. Next night though" – he sighed – "next night the men came for him."

"Which men?"

"A few acquaintances of mine," He answered quickly, dismissing the subject, "they knew me and my fiancée well enough to know who we were. Apparently they had some bargain to settle with your father – don't know what it was."

"So what happened?"

"He used Martina – my fiancée - to get away. Said he'd harm her if they weren't reasonable. The men halted when I told them to – they knew how precious Martina is to me...he didn't hurt her though...I doubt he's that kind of man - to hurt a woman."

"How long ago did this happen?" Maleen asked, appalled that her father would have done such a thing, but curious as to whether the date would give her a clue as to where he was now.

"Oh, I don't know...couple of years; maybe three."

The man that had hidden his identity previously during the conversation now slid across the bench he was sitting on so Maleen could see him in what little sunlight there was in the dark room.

He was quite young. He couldn't have been any older than twenty five. His hair was a beautiful light brown colour and had the exact same colour eyes. He looked worn though – tired, weary – and a thin trickle of blood was running down his chin; probably from when he tried to be smart with the crew members. He looked quite weak as well, but Maleen guessed, by the muscles that could be seen through his shirt, that he probably wasn't.

"You look hungry, Miss Sparrow," He said, "Eat this."

He managed to bring a large piece of bread out of nowhere and threw it gently in her direction. She caught it, skilfully and was about to protest that she had her own food – however little that may be – when the man gave the indication to eat up.

"I'm Simon," he said, when Maleen had a mouthful of bread and Fido was trying to sneak some off her.

"Maleen," She replied, covering her mouth so Simon wouldn't have the misfortune of seeing what she was eating. She then swallowed and said: "We never got round to it – why are you down here?"

"I was trying to hitch-hike a ride to another port," He replied, revealing a row of sparkling white teeth – even if they were stained ever so slightly with blood, "plan failed. I got caught - simple as that."

Maleen was about to ask why he was trying to sneak a ride for free on a ship when the two crew members came back through the door. Their smiles were even more unnerving now.

"This doesn't look good..." Simon mumbled as the two men made their way over to the cell.

Maleen wanted to ask what he meant by that, but was whisked out of the cell before she could say a word.

They led her to a large room which looked like the Captain's cabin. It was very posh with spotless rugs, polished tables, and golden candlesticks, baskets of fruit, plates of steaming hot food and a very large fire place. However Maleen had little time to enjoy her surrounding – she was already being taken over to the fireplace, where Lord Gulliver was waiting.

"Ah! Maleen! So glad you could join us," He said with a dark smile, "please, come and sit down."

"No thank you, I'm fine standing here," she replied, planting her bare feet stubbornly on the rug.

The Captain smiled, "Fine." He said, "Your choice."

Maleen was pleased with her courage. Little did she know that what Lord Gulliver had in store for her was nothing pleasant – not in the slightest.

He walked past her to get a drink of some kind of alcohol from a silver tray on the polished table. In silence, he took a swig; then placed the glass back on the tray.

Maleen watched warily, with her hands being held behind her back, as Lord Gulliver walked back over to the grand fireplace and picked a long poker out of the embers. As it was picked up, a handful of small embers fell gracefully from the grate on to the hearth; their glowing light died on the cool stone surface after a few short seconds and they turned to ash. Maleen was so transfixed with their shimmering light that she didn't notice what Lord Gulliver was doing.

Before she knew what was happening, Maleen had her right arm thrust from behind her back in an almost painful way and Lord Gulliver was holding the poker so it was almost touching her arm – a couple of inches away from her tattoo.

He grinned in a sinister way once, letting the message sink in. Maleen didn't need to be told what was going to happen. She looked at the poker – and could now see that it wasn't any ordinary fire poker. It was special – instead of a point at the end of it, there was a letter.

A letter P.

Maleen screamed as the brander touched her skin. The pain was indescribable. Tears formed in her eyes and ran down her cheeks continuously as Lord Gulliver held the red-hot brander in one hand and Maleen's arm in the other.

Maleen struggled and kicked and yelled to get free but the two crewmembers who had escorted her to the room had stayed there and were holding her still. They were far too strong for Maleen to fight by herself. She had no weapons, and hardly any fighting experience. The only time she had ever fought any one was when she was play-fighting with her father; and, as you can guess, there was no violence involved there.

It seemed to go on forever.

The pain was so bad. Gulliver had held it on long enough, surely? Or maybe he was keeping it on longer because, for some reason, he had a very strong hatred for her – or her father.

"_Stop _it! Please! _Please!_ Oh _please!_ _Stop it!_" She kept yelling, but, to begin with her cries did no good. If anything, Gulliver pressed down harder with the lethal branding device.

Eventually though, he did stop. He wrenched the branding iron off her arm, ripping skin off with it; then placed it back into the fire, ready for its next victim. The Captain then harshly pushed Maleen's arm back out of his way and went over to the table to take another sip of his drink – he took a new glass completely, leaving his previous one still half full. As he sipped the alcohol from the glass and looked out of the great window out to sea, he gave a dismissive wave for the crew members to take Maleen away.

She was still crying when she got to the cell.

Simon was waiting for her when she was thrown back into the cell. The pain had eased from her burn, but it still hurt tremendously.

With clenched teeth, and clutching her wounded arm, Maleen sat down on the bench she was on before. In silence, Simon came over to join her.

"Welcome to the club," he mumbled, as he brought something out of his pocket. Maleen saw that he had the same brand on his arm too. His wasn't as pink and raw as hers was though. Maleen felt like her arm was on fire.

Simon held a round tin in the palm of his hand. Maleen glanced at it, then at Simon's face – he looked quite serious, but there was a glint in his eyes.

He pulled the lid of the tin with a little bit of effort and revealed some white-ish gel inside. Maleen could tell it had been used before – there were traces of fingerprints in the gel where someone had rubbed their fingers.

Maleen realised it was thick as well, as Simon scraped a bit out of the tin with his fingers. He then indicated for Maleen to give him her wounded wrist. She refused at first, but there was a sudden surge of pain making her wince.

"It'll help," He said.

Maleen hesitated for a moment, then held out her arm.

Simon was very careful where he rubbed the gel. Maleen's burn was around three fingers width in size. Simon rubbed the gel around it first – being cautious as to where he placed his fingers - then gradually massaged it into the burn itself. At first it hurt even more and made Maleen hiss, but soon the pain did ease and she was immensely relieved. The gel seemed to sooth the pain, and cooled it terrifically.

"Wow, what is that stuff?" She asked Simon as he continued to work on her arm.

He chuckled, "Can't tell you, honestly. I got it of an old friend of mine a couple of years ago."

"And he just...gave it to you?" Maleen wondered why anyone would just hand over something as wonderful as this. It had worked miracles on her burn.

"No, not exactly," Simon said. He didn't look at Maleen; he was concentrating very hard on her wrist.

"Well, what happened then?"

"I got into a fight. I managed to fend the other guy off – got him to leave me alone – but he sliced my arm open" – Simon showed her a white scar than ran all the way across his forearm – "it hurt like _hell_, I can tell you. Lucky my old friend was there with for me. He showed me how it worked, told me about it too; although, most of it, I didn't get because I was in pain. He said something about numbing effects and healing properties – the details slipped my mind though."

"So...how did you come to get it?"

"Well, the guy who had been attacking me went away and got himself drunk because he lost the fight. He was really big-headed and kept saying he was going to beat me, so I guess he was depressed when he didn't. He came running for me – sword in hand – but in his state couldn't aim right. Instead of stabbing me in the gut, he did it to my friend." At this point, Simon increased the tightness of his grasp around Maleen's wrist, making her gasp slightly. He didn't loosen his grip until Maleen asked him to. "Sorry. Old memory. The nasty kind. Anyway, he stabbed him. As you can imagine, I was angry, and went after the drunken fool. I killed him successfully, then went back to my friend and asked if he was alright. He didn't answer, just looked at me. I tried to use this stuff on his wound" – he pointed to the tin he was holding – "but I was too late. I reckon his wounds were too great, but he said something about time as well. Could have been a combination of the two..."

There were a few moments of silence as the both of them just sat there, wrapped in their own thoughts. Maleen was feeling sorry for Simon, he seemed to have had a rough couple of years. She wasn't quite ready to reveal her life story to anyone just yet though – those thoughts were for her only, at the moment. They were far too personal experiences for anyone else to hear.

Simon, on the other hand was thinking about his friend, who had died because of a stupid, big-headed, drunk guy that was afraid to lose.

"Just like your father now," Simon chuckled quietly, removing his fingers from Maleen's burn. It didn't look so pink anymore, and it definitely wasn't as tender.

"Huh? You mean...my father _is_ a pirate? After all?"

"Sorry kid," Simon said, pushing the top back onto the tin, "some things you can't change. You got his blood in you – pirate blood in your veins. Nothing we can do about that. He's a Pirate Lord, so I've heard – no wonder quite a few people have heard of him."

"A Pirate Lord?" Maleen asked, confused by the term. It seemed important...a respected position.

"Yes, Lord of the Caribbean. Each Pirate Lord has some stretch of water that belongs to them. I've been told that your father is 'in charge' of the Caribbean Sea, but I'm not certain," Simon answered, "I think there's nine of them all together..."

"Nine what?"

"Lords," He answered, then began counting them off on his fingers, "Mistress Ching, Ammand the Corsair, Villanueua, Chevalle, Sri Sumbhajee, Jocarb, Sao Feng, Barbossa and Jack Sparrow."

"I..." Maleen began, but she couldn't finish her sentence. She was far to shocked. It was so much to take _in_. Her father – someone she thought she had known from the very day she was born – had been a _pirate_. Something that was against the law. But not only that, he was a Pirate Lord – what seemed like one of the most important roles a pirate could be given.

"I..." She choked out again, but this time the rest of the sentence followed after it, "I don't believe this...how could he have hidden it from me for so long?"

Simon didn't know how to answer. He just sat on the bench – watching how Maleen coped with the situation – and wishing he could do something to help her. She was just staring at nothing, and frowning.

'_Perhaps she doesn't understand,_' He thought, '_either that or her mind just doesn't want her to..._'

"Well..." Maleen finally said, with a little difficulty – it was almost a sigh. She paused for a moment, considering whether what she was about to say was the truth, "it makes no real difference to me. He's still my father, I still feel the same about him, and I'm still going to go and look for him...I guess I'm a pirate as well so..."

"So...?"

"So I'd better get going...just need to find a way of getting out of this place."

"Well, as I'm coming with you, and I'm guessing your dog is too," Simon said, eyeing Fido wearily for a second, "I might have a way that we could escape."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Escape

Simon's plan wasn't very complicated, and didn't need a whole lot of knowledge to think it up, but it was efficient – and that was, really, all that mattered.

Together, they managed to create a lock-picking devise using bits and bobs they could find in their pockets and around the jail cell. It wasn't much, but it would do if they were going to escape soon.

"Better hurry," Simon said, as he pushed a pin and a small blade - that he had hidden in his belt – awkwardly into the lock, "someone might hear us."

He jiggled the two pieces of metal ruthlessly, gritting his teeth in frustration when the door still didn't swing open.

"Stupid lock," He kept muttering, through his teeth, when still no movement occurred. Maleen hovered in the background, watching what he was doing all the time. Fido was lying on the wet, wooden floor – he looked like he was anxious to.

"Ouch!" Simon hissed under his breath, dropping the knife to the ground. He cursed in an almost inaudible way.

"What is it?" Maleen asked coming over to see what was wrong. She saw Simon out his index finger in his mouth, and noticed that the blade he had dropped – with quite a load bang – had a deep shade of red on it.

"Oh, God, your finger! Are you alright? Can I do anything to help?"

"Nah, I'm alright," Simon replied, looking at the deep cut that he now had, "just a scratch."

"Just a scratch?" Maleen repeated in exclamation, "Just a scratch! You've nearly chopped your finger off!"

"Nah, I'm fine, I'm fine," Simon insisted, but Maleen could tell that even _he_ was worried for his own health. The cut was bad – anyone could see that. Simon rubbed his wounded finger on his shirt, leaving a smear of blood behind. A deep shade of red.

"Come on, I'm going to help you. Let me have a look at that. Tell me what to do." Maleen yanked at Simon's hand and he finally let her look. She examined the cut like it was some new kind of species that she'd never seen before. The cut was deep – almost to the bone – and was bleeding badly.

"Where's that weird stuff?" Maleen asked, and began rummaging around in Simon's jacket pockets.

"Hey! I can get it myself," he replied, "just be a bit more patient, will you?"

"It's hard when someone's bleeding to death in front of you." Maleen muttered, as Simon reached into his back pocket and pulled out the tin.

He handed it to her. "I'm not bleeding to _death_," he said, "but...I guess I do need it to stop bleeding if we're going to escape."

"Keep your voice down – someone could hear you, and we don't want that," Maleen said impatiently, "how do I use this stuff?"

"Look, I'll do it myself..."

"No, you won't," Maleen interrupted, "I'm doing it for you and you can't stop me. Now, tell me, how to use it."

She twisted the metal lid off the tin and looked at the funny gel inside.

"Just do the same as I did, before," Was all Simon replied, as he held out his hand for Maleen to work on. He looked in the opposite direction – not showing his face.

"Right...okay." Maleen replied.

She scooped up some of the mixture with three of her fingers, rubbed her hands together and then began to smooth it around Simon's cut. She wasn't sure how long she needed to do it for, but it obviously wasn't enough, as when she rubbed a finger over the wound itself, Simon hissed and he pulled back his hand reflexively.

"Sorry, I didn't mean -" Maleen began, but Simon waved his good hand dismissively and motioned for her to carry on.

She did, after a moment's hesitation, do as Simon instructed and rubbed the gel over the cut with care. It was no more than a few minutes before Simon spoke again and told her to stop.

"That's enough now, it's stopped the bleeding," He said, getting up and reaching for the knife that he had dropped onto the floor.

"No it hasn't, it only lessened it," Maleen protested, but Simon didn't want to hear it.

"It's fine for now. We have bigger problems to think about – like getting out of here."

He knelt down and began to fiddle with the lock again. He began to rattle it up and down and side to side in the lock, with no luck, to begin with. Then, after a few minutes of frustration, the cell door swung open and Simon turned to face Maleen with a cheeky smile on his face.

No words were needed for Maleen to understand.

They were going.

Now.

Without making a sound, Simon, Maleen and Fido made their way through the rooms in the ship, trying to be seen by as few people as possible. Whenever any members of the crew walked past them, they hid in the shadows and held their breath so that, hopefully, they wouldn't be seen and an alarm wouldn't be raised. On some occasions, though, they were spotted; leaving no other option but to fight.

If fighting was necessary, Simon told Maleen in whispers that they needed to do it silently, but efficiently. He showed her, at one point, exactly what he was talking about.

They were creeping though some sort of storage room, when two Navy officers began to walk towards them. They hadn't seen the three escapees, but Simon had a feeling that they were going to.

As they walked past, one of them paused and peered into the shadows where Maleen, Fido and Simon were hiding. He was just about to call to his friend, when Simon punched him – upwards, on the chin. The officer fell to the ground without even a groan, but the impact of his limp body hitting the hard wood of the floor was enough to make the other turn around and see what the matter was. Simon kicked him in the ribs, kneed him between the legs then threw him backwards into a corner. He fell into a heap of crates and lay there, limp.

They had then hidden the bodies, so no one would see them – or at least, not until they woke up – then stole various things that they had been carrying.

Simon picked up the scabbard and sword that the first officer had been carrying as well as his pistol, then motioned in silence for Maleen to copy and take the other marine's possessions. She did as she was told – hauling the scabbard over her head to keep it safe and tucking the gun into her belt so they were both out of the way and she could use both hands.

"Get those," Simon whispered, motioning to a pair of knee high boots that were splayed out in the corner that they had hidden the guards in, "you'll need them to protect your feet."

Maleen took the boots and thrust them on – they fit surprisingly well - then followed Simon out of the room, up a creaky stairway and onto the main deck.

It was midday, and the sun was high in the sky – its powerful rays beating down on the crew, making them sweat in their uniforms as they worked. Maleen stood, watching the scene for a moment; watching the business of the crew, the hard work they were doing. Simon had to nudge her to get her to move again, and remember that they needed to stay hidden.

"We need to get a longboat ready," Simon whispered, as they hid behind large barrels of port, "but it would draw a lot of attention to us. We need a diversion..."

He looked at Maleen, Maleen looked at Fido, and Fido looked back at the two of them.

"What would Fido do?" Maleen asked Simon in a hushed voice, "He can't exactly jump up and down and get people's attention."

"Can he run?"

"Yes."

"Can he bark?"

"Yes."

"Then he can make a great distraction," Simon concluded, "and you can help me get that long boat ready."

Maleen was going to protest for Fido, but decided against it. Simon would win the argument in the end, so she would only be wasting her time, and Fido hadn't really done anything useful yet. Perhaps he needed to prove his worth a bit more.

Fido was sent off, after some prodding, to distract the crew members whilst Maleen and Simon prepared a boat for their hasty departure.

Maleen watched her faithful companion as he crept, sulkily, to the stern of the ship. Amazingly, he did it without anyone noticing, and no one gave him a second glance until he wanted them to.

He sat there, near the wheel, and just looked out to sea for a few moments. Then, when Maleen whistled lowly, he began to do as he had been told.

He howled.

The crew members all stopped working almost immediately and looked at where the howling was coming from. Fido howled louder and louder until Maleen was certain that everyone was looking at him, and then she whistled at a higher pitch.

Fido stopped the howling and rolled over on his back, with his legs in the air, his tongue drooping out of his mouth. He lay there for a few more minutes, until Maleen whistled lowly once again.

Once again, he began to howl.

And, this time, some crew members began to gather round and watch what was going on. Maleen kept up the whistling, occasionally changing the pitch to make Fido do different things. The whole crew gathered round to watch what was going on, blocking Maleen's view, but she knew what Fido was doing – she was the one that had taught him to do tricks at her command; even if he was usually the one to decide whether or not he wanted to do tricks at all.

She helped Simon get the boat ready – pulling it down with the ropes, steadying it in the water, then climbing into it. When Maleen clapped her hands, Fido jumped up and sniffed the air, before running across the deck – followed, cautiously, by most of the crew – and jumping into the boat that was resting on the waves below.

Many faces watched as Simon began to row. An alarm was raised, eventually, when some of them came to their senses, but by then the trio were already far out of reach. There was no point in going after them, Gulliver had decided; she was branded pirate – if she was spotted she would die.

"That was fantastic!" Maleen exclaimed, scratching Fido behind the ear, "You're such a good boy, Fido, such a _good_ boy!"

"Yeah, he is quite well trained," Simon agreed, with little enthusiasm, "good dog."

"You could be a little more praising," Maleen suggested, "he didn't exactly offer to do any of that – you should be grateful that you got a diversion."

"He would have done it if I told him to," Simon said, "but that's not important now..."

"So, what is?"

"Getting as far away from that ship" – he jerked a thumb at the boat they had just escaped from; it was gradually getting smaller – "as possible. They could catch us easily, if the wind picks up. Let's hope they decide not to."

They had been sailing for quite a while, and before Maleen knew it, it was the dead of night and the silver moonlight bounced off the sparkling sea.

'_One day ago I was in Port Royal,_' Maleen thought, '_and now...now I'm out at sea._'

She lay back, resting her head on Fido's fur, and gazed up at the stars above her. They were so beautiful. She had always loved the stars, but had never really understood why. There was a vague memory from when she was very young about stars...she had been told they were beautiful...but by whom...?

She frowned, trying to recover the memory and picture it clearly, but nothing would come. All she remembered was lying down, looking up and seeing something beautiful. The stars...someone had been speaking about them; how they were special and what they resembled. But Maleen couldn't remember who. The image was blurry – as if she was looking at it through murky water. Bits of it were missing to; it would be colourful at one point – the scene before her, giving her goose bumps – and then she would blank out, remembering nothing.

Maleen decided not to get to wound up about it. There were many memories she could remember – many more than any other girl could. She could only remember the ones with her father, because she had thought about him every day. Every day since her had left. Those were special. All Maleen needed to know was that the stars were beautiful; and someone had told her that.

"We could do with getting to land soon..." Maleen heard Simon mutter to himself, "We could all do with some real rest."

"Do you want me to take over for a bit?" She asked, sitting up slowly, "you look a little tired."

"Nah, it's alright," Simon said, as Maleen lay down again, "you get your rest – you might need it tomorrow."

"Not tired," She replied, placing her hands behind her head, and looking back up to the stars.

"Well, don't say I didn't tell you," He replied, looking upwards himself.

They both stared at the sky for a few moments, while Fido slept soundly beneath Maleen's head. The two of them looked at the stars that shone brightly above them – little twinkly lights that lit the way to wherever they were going. Maleen had no idea how long it was before Simon asked her a question.

"Maleen, what are you doing so far out in these waters?" He said, "Seems a bit adventurous for a young girl like you."

"I'm not that young – I'm fourteen – and I thought I already told you."

"Nope, not from what I can remember," Simon answered, "We talked mostly about me when we were in the brig."

"Oh, I thought I told you about my father..."

"Not really. We discussed about how he's a pirate, and you're a pirate, and what he did to Martina."

"Oh." Was the only reasonable response Maleen could think of; wondering who Martina was.

"So...?" Simon urged.

"'So?'" Maleen questioned.

"So, why are you so far out at sea when you could be at home curled in front of the fire with your mother, reading a book or something?"

Maleen decided she still wasn't ready to talk about her mother. It was too big a loss for her. She steered clear of her as best she could, thinking wittily about what she was going to say, before she said it.

"I'm looking for my father." She finally replied, bluntly, as if it was obvious.

"Why?"

"Why is it any of your business?" Maleen snapped, giving Simon a scornful look.

"Sorry," He said, raising his arms as if in surrender, "I'm just curious, miss."

Maleen laughed once. No one had ever called her 'miss' before; that she could remember. She was always referred to as 'girl' or 'you' or 'her'. Hardly anyone used her real name – never mind call her 'miss'. She suddenly felt respected; treated like she should be. A warm glow grew inside her.

"Well, if you must know," She said, in answer to Simon's question, "I'm looking for my father because I miss him."

Simon stopped rowing for a second and looked at her with a stern expression; almost like he was studying her. It made Maleen feel uncomfortable. Just as she was about to ask why he was staring at her, Simon began to row again. He looked down at the wood below his feet, not showing his expression to Maleen.

"Why?" He finally asked.

"You and your questions!" Maleen muttered, before carrying on in a more audible voice, "because I haven't seen him in eight years and, if it's alright with you, I would like to see him again."

"Hmm," Simon grunted in disapproval.

"Why aren't you happy with that?" Maleen asked, anger building up slowly in her chest.

"I've told you – I'm not very happy with Jack Sparrow. We've had...issues in that past."

"Captain Jack Sparrow, _Captain_," Maleen corrected, irritably in a mutter.

"Yeah, sure,"

Maleen sighed. She knew that Simon wasn't on the best of terms with her father, but she wished that he could be a bit more supportive of her. She hadn't seen her father in years and wanted nothing more than to see him again – even if it was only for a little while. She just wanted to ask him questions about why he left and what he had done in the mean time, and to tell him he loved him and had missed him. She just wanted him to hold her in an embrace and for the both of them just to stand there. It would be perfect.

"Look," Maleen began, "I'm really sorry about what you've been through – with my father and all of that – but I can't do anything to help you. It's already happened – in the past – gone. Forever. Never coming back. I wish I could do something to go back in time and prevent it from happening, but I can't, okay? I _can't_."

She sat there, looking sternly into Simon's eyes. She meant every word she had said. She was disappointed by what had happened, and felt sorry for the position that Simon had been put in – wanting to help, but being afraid that if he moved an inch his beloved wife-to-be would suffer for it. But there was nothing that anyone could do about it. Not now. Not ever.

"Ok...I'm sorry..." Simon said in a quiet voice, "I've been...unacceptable. I know that it's in the past, gone forever and whatever else you said, but it was difficult for me. I don't like your father. Simple as that."

"So...you're not going to help me find him?" Maleen asked, a sinking feeling grew in her stomach. She was depending on the help of Simon to get to her next destination.

"I can get you some of the way," He answered, "but I can tell you now – if I see your father, I think I might have to punch him; uppercut, fist-to-the-nose and all that."

Maleen shifted slightly at the thought of her father being beaten up.

'_Maybe it's best that they won't meet again.._.' She thought.

"You do know that it might take a while for you to find him, right?" Simon asked after a short moment of time.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well...he's a pirate. He needs to keep on the move so he doesn't get caught by the East Indian Trading Company and the Royal Navy."

Maleen knew all about the East India Trading Company. Before he had left, her father had worked there, – for Cutler Beckett; the man who hadn't been happy with Maleen's family. She hoped he would die in some horrible way some day – perhaps at sea; Captain going down with his ship...

As for the Royal Navy...they were the red coats; the marines. They worked for Beckett too and were usually the starring characters in her nightmares.

"I know he might be on the on the other side of the world, and I know I might have to travel for a long time, but I feel that I have to have faith. Because...if I don't, I might give up before I've reached him...and I know that if I did that I'd probably regret it forever." She looked Simon directly in the eyes, "I love my father. He's pretty much the only family I've got now that...I'm not longer with my mother. I have no idea whether I'll find him or not, but I've at least got to try. I'm sure you have someone that you've really wanted to see at some point in your life – wouldn't you have done anything just to see them again?"

Simon thought for a second – just looking at her. His eyes were shining, like he was about to cry. Maleen felt as if she had just touched some deep part of his soul – upturned some hidden secret that Simon didn't want her to know. He opened his mouth – about to tell her – but closed it again, after changing his mind.

"Yes," He finally said, avoiding any eye contact, "I know what you mean."

Maleen was about to ask what situation he had been in – how he knew what it felt like to be in her position – but decided not to press Simon. His secret obviously was one he didn't want to share.

Simon went quiet again and Maleen began to think he wasn't in the mood for conversation any more. His expression was far away; looking at some memory, or think over some thought that Maleen didn't know – that she wasn't _allowed_ to know.

She looked up at the stars again and absentmindedly began to fiddle with the compass that she had tied to her belt. Her fingers caressed the edges and corners, as she pictured it in her head. The gold rim, the old latch...

Maleen had that feeling again – that uncontrollable urge. She wanted to open it. Her curiosity was telling her to open it. The latch.

'_Just_ _lift it up and look inside, there's nothing more to it,_' a voice inside her head kept saying, '_no one with know..._'

Maleen bit her lip and looked down at the compass that was sitting in her lap.

'_But they_ will,' she replied to her curiosity, '_someone will find out...my father might...and then...then I would have disappointed him by breaking my promise._'

'_Come on!_' The voice seemed to scream, '_Just open it! Just lift up the fastener..._'

Maleen's thumb rubbed against the latch. She wanted to open it, but didn't; both at the same time. There were so many unanswered questions she wanted to ask but she knew that only her father – Captain Jack Sparrow – could give her the correct response. Only he could tell her why he had made her promise, only he could tell her why it was so special, and only he could say why he had left her with it.

"Where did you get that?"

Maleen looked up from the compass she was holding and into Simon's face; it was stern, interested.

"My father gave it to me before he left," She answered, showing it up to him. Simon could hardly see most of it in the darkness, as it was mostly black. Only the gold rim and the fastener showed clearly.

"Why did he give it to you? Why not keep it himself?" Simon asked.

"He...I...I don't know," Maleen replied, perplexed, "he didn't tell me."

"He obviously trusts you – if it's what I think it is,"

"What do you mean?" She asked, "What do you think it is?"

"Well, if rumours are true, then that" – he pointed to the compass that Maleen was holding in her hand, she glanced down at is as he did so – "is the compass that Jack is supposed to own. Not many people have heard of it, as he usually keeps it very close on his person; hardly tells anyone about it, it's so 's supposed to have got it from this mystic woman called Tia Dalma, but I'm not sure – some stories are different from others..."

"What's so special about it then?" Maleen asked, passing the compass from one hand to the other, "he never told me anything about it – just to keep it as secret as I could and only use it if I really needed to."

Simon stopped rowing and looked at Maleen with an expression that was hard to read. It was stern...almost, yet there was a small smile forming on his lips - very small; almost undetectable.

"I'll tell you what's so special about it," he answered, looking her in the eyes, "if rumours are true, and that compass is, in fact, the one I think it is, then it should point to what you want most in this world."

Maleen felt her jaw drop and she quickly closed it before Simon could notice.

"That's impossible," She said.

"Just what I've been told," Simon replied as he took hold of the ores again and began to row, "but you know what rumours are like these days; could be a load of rubbish for all I know."

"Yeah, it must be." Maleen replied, but secretly believed what Simon was telling her. In the last twenty-four hours she had learned so much that she had no idea about previously in her life. Everything was...new, believable, mysterious.

"Should I use it?" She asked, after quite a few moments of thought, "the compass, I mean."

"Do you need to?"

"Well..." Maleen thought about it. It would be a great help if she was going to find her father, but it wasn't a life or death could wait...for now.

"No," she finally replied, dropping the compass so it swung from her belt, "I don't."

Many hours passed and Maleen gradually fell asleep. Their conversation had come to a close a slowly and they had both come over with tiredness. It was late and the stars seemed to be glowing brighter and brighter as the hours went by. Even Simon fell asleep in the end. The boat began to drift across the sea, into waters not as deep and by morning there was a great island in the near distance.

Just as the sun began to near the highest point in the sky, all three of the pirates were woken up by a loud roaring sound – like metal scraping along metal.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Monsters

The trio jumped with a start as a glass shattering shriek echoed through the waves of the ocean. It was so loud it hurt; making them squeeze their eyes shut and clamp their hands to their ears.

"What the...?" Simon said to himself, as he opened his eyes to see where the racket had come from. But, as soon as he saw it, his anger vanished and it was replaced by some other emotion.

Fear.

Pure dead fear.

The creature before him was tall, and getting taller as it ascended higher and higher into the sky. It could easily smash a giant ship in two if it felt like it. All Simon could see was a long neck – very long. It was highly possible that this sea creature was some kind of snake; it went on for such a long time. The creature's eyes were pitch black and had a sinister shine in them. They seemed to flash with glee – enjoying whatever pain he was about to inflict. As it screeched and screamed, Simon could see a black fork-shaped tongue and rows and rows of sharp, blood-stained teeth. It was sinister. Fearsome. And made Simon quiver ever so slightly.

Suddenly, his survival guide kicked in. All he could think about was how to survive.

'_Get to safety,_' He kept thinking, '_no matter what happens; make sure you get to safety._'

'_But what about the others?_' Another voice in his head asked, '_you can't just leave them to die!_'

'_She's Sparrow's daughter,_' the first voice argued, '_does it matter what happens to her? Remember what Jack did to Martina...just remember that..._'

Simon looked at Maleen who was lying just a few feet away from her. He looked at her young, terrified face. Her petrified eyes – blue, with the same twinkle in them as Jack had.

All she wanted was to see her father. That was all she wanted – nothing in return. All her dreams were being crushed just by the sight of this monster – she was seeing herself.

Seeing herself die, with so many more years that she could live, so many more things that she could do...

Fourteen. Not even classed as a young adult yet. Surely there was some kind of future waiting out there for her.

'_She's only fourteen years old,_' He thought, silencing the bickering voices in his mind, '_I can't just leave her behind to die. She hasn't done a thing to me; it's her father that I have a problem with. _'

And with that last thought he sprung into action.

He had dropped the oars whilst he had been asleep and they had drifted to some place far away, long gone by now. There was no escape by rowing. The only thing they could do now was...

"Maleen, can you swim?" Simon yelled over the screeching of the creature that was teasing them with its menace and fearsome features.

"What?" She asked, her eyes were still filled with fear, but there was confusion there was well.

"Can you swim?" Simon asked, in a voice that was growing in annoyance, as the creature swooped down with its almighty green-blue neck.

"Why do you need to know _now_?" She answered, her confusion growing.

"Just answer me!" He screamed, glaring at her in a fierce way as he tried to get the answer out of her that he desperately needed.

"Yes, okay?" Maleen shouted back, instantly, "I can swim!"

She ducked as the great beast swept back down again – its teeth moving inches away from the back of her head and whisking up a few strands of her hair. It was doing a great job at terrifying them, if that was its intention, but so far hadn't hurt any of the three sailors.

"Why do you need to know, anyway?" Maleen asked, sitting up again to see where the beast had gone; and whether it was going to strike again. She then added in a harsh voice, "I have a few other things on my mind at the moment!"

"I know! I know!" Simon replied; he was looking up at the creature judgingly. His mind was clicking – planning.

'_We can't just jump and start to swim_,' He thought, '_it's big – it'll follow us with no trouble...we need to wait until the right moment...perhaps it'll strike the boat – snap it in two..._'

"Maleen!"

"WHAT?" She screamed; the creature seemed to be getting closer and closer to her, it was gaining its pace with each threatening strike it took. Every minute or so it would pause for breath before lashing out again with its razor sharp teeth.

"Get as far away from me as you can," He answered, "then, on the count of three, you jump off and swim as fast as you can to that island over there!"

He pointed over to the island in the near distance. They were about four-hundred yards away now.

It took a while for the perfect moment to come. The sea creature seemed to be having fun tormenting them and just kept on lashing out with fearsome shrieks – making Maleen scream herself.

At last, though, Simon saw their chance. The thing seemed to be bracing itself – preparing for impact.

He glanced over at Maleen and saw her eyes wide with fear. Something was running through her mind that he couldn't quite understand. He seemed to know that, if he shouted her, it would take her a few minutes to respond.

'_What could she be thinking?_' Simon couldn't help but think, as the creature came higher and higher out of the water – preparing to strike again. Half of his mind was concentrating on the giant thing before him, half was thinking about Maleen.

He kept looking between the two – judging when the creature would let itself fall, and trying to guess why Maleen looked so scared.

"One!" Simon began to count, wondering whether Maleen could hear him or not. The creature shrieked again and she seemed to brace herself – but...what for?

"Two!" Simon kept looking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth between the two beings. Why wasn't Maleen preparing herself to _jump_?

"Three!" He screamed, at the top of his voice when he noticed that the creature was leaning forward – getting ready.

And that exact moment was when he realised.

When the _real_ fear washed through him.

When he realised why Maleen was so still.

She was petrified – quite literally.

'_What do I do_ now_?_' Simon asked himself. Did he save himself, or Maleen?

It had to be a split second decision.

'_Save her..._' He thought, '_save the girl...save Maleen..._'

He had no idea why he was compelled to do it, but he did. He jumped, but not out into the water – towards her. Maleen.

But he wasn't quick enough.

Just as he began to move the creature decided that it was time to strike. It crashed through the wood of the rowing boat with its terrible strength; sending Simon flying away from the boat.

He landed with a splash in the water and was forced to stay under as the creature tore apart the dingy until there was barely anything left.

'_Just hold your breath..._' He kept telling himself, '_when it goes away you can swim to the surface..._'

It didn't take long for the thing to get bored with the remains of the boat – it was mostly splinters by now – and it soon swam away into deeper waters; probably hiding away for its next victim.

Simon swam to the surface as fast as he could and gasped for breath when he got there. He may not have been under for a long time, but he had found it hard to resist the temptation to breathe for that long.

Fido soon came to the surfaced and swam over to Simon, who looked around at the scenery. Over the bobbing waves he could clearly see the silhouette of the island. He was closer to it now, but not by much. It would still take him quite a while to get there.

And then he noticed that something was missing.

Or, rather, some_one_.

Frantically, he looked around. There was no sign of her in any direction.

He held his breath and went back under the water, looking for her.

Simon could see nothing but water...for a few seconds.

And then he saw her. Her tanned face and ragged clothes, her long black lashes and silver locket, her tattoo and black hair stretching out all around her, like ink dropped in a bowl of water.

Her face was blank. Eyes closed, mouth relaxed – the last remaining bubbles of air were escaping her lungs and disappearing from her lips; racing up to the surface of the sea.

Simon knew he had to do something fast.

After speeding back up for a lung-full of air, Simon dived back under the surface of the water – racing towards the quickly-sinking Maleen.

He swam as fast as he could towards her, and it wasn't long before he thrust his arms around her and began to swim upwards.

'_Get her to air_,' He kept thinking, '_if you're out of breath now, think about what she's going through..._'

The thing was; he didn't want to think about it. There was so much strain on his lungs that Simon felt like there was a huge weight crushing down on them. It took most of his will power to keep his mouth clamped shut and hold his breath.

Black spots began to appear in front of Simon's eyes and dizziness began to take over.

'_Just relax..._' part of him was telling him, '_everything will go away if you just relax..._'

'_Swim!_' cried another, '_you will _die_ if you don't get to air soon. Maleen will almost certainly die if you don't get up there – she's getting closer by the second..._'

Simon realised what was happening – he was slowing down. He realised that the voice in his head was right.

They were getting closer and closer to death when each second ticked by. Every second was vital to their survival. Maleen was getting weaker and weaker – her organs shutting down...one by one...

He had to swim.

His strength depended on _two_ lives, not just one. If he gave up now, it wasn't just his life that would be lost.

Maleen would go too; that is, if she wasn't already dead.

Death was getting closer. As every second sped past them, his icy fingers were closing around Maleen's soul, getting ready to take it – to crush it, to kill her...

He had no idea how it had happened, but Simon burst out of the water.

The first thing he did was breathe.

Panting for breath he looked down at Maleen, who he was carrying in his arms. She was weak.

Was she dead?

The question hung in the air, spinning around and around in Simon's head as he began to swim to shore.

It seemed like years before he was climbing out of the water with tired legs and lying Maleen down on the white sand.

He looked at her. She was so still. Her face was paler than it had been before. Her dark hair was no longer like ink – it was stuck to her face with the wetness of the water; plastered in every direction.

Was her heart beating?

Simon didn't know.

Was she breathing?

It was hard to tell. If she was, it was only the slightest bit. No movement was visible from when Simon was kneeling – next to her. Close enough that he should be able to tell.

So maybe Death had managed to catch her after all. There was nothing that he could do about it now. If she was dead, she was gone...but what would he do afterwards?

There was a reason he needed her there – he needed her help.

And what about her father? What if he went looking for her and failed. What would he do? Would Jack assume she was dead? Or would he just keep on searching?

Just as Simon was considering what to do – whether he should hunt Jack down for Maleen and tell him the news, or just carry on with his own business – a coughing and spluttering sound brought him out of his deep thoughts.

He looked down to see Maleen on her hands and knees, coughing up whatever water she had swallowed.

Simon felt a smile on his lips as he looked at her. It would have been horrible if she had died – they hadn't known each other long, but he still felt there was a small connection between the two of them.

After she had finished her coughing fit, Maleen looked up at Simon.

"You saved me?" She said – it was more of a statement than a question, "Thank you."

Simon looked uncomfortable for a moment and helped Maleen up. He ignored her gratitude.

"The sun will dry you off soon enough," He said, looking around at the scenery before them, "in the mean time, let's find out where we are..."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

The Anoliko Lizard

Unknown to the trio, Maleen, Simon and Fido had managed to get themselves on the island of Torvicia. It wasn't the largest place on Earth, but many people had gotten lost in the rainforest and never come out because of the density of the place – after a while, every tree looked like the other and as you walk further and further into the forest you became more and more confused.

Many people had died on this island and a hidden truth explained everything. Only few people knew the history of the place though – and those people were usually very difficult to come by.

"So...where are we?" Maleen asked, as they wandered up the beach to a wide opening in the trees.

"To be honest with you, I don't know," Simon replied, as he looked out to sea, it glistened with the sunlight that was beating down on them, "but I think we'll have to find a way to get off this island by ourselves – I can't see any sign of life out there...no hope in another ship saving us."

"And no islands close enough for us to swim to," Maleen added, sitting down in the shade of a palm tree and leaning her head against the trunk. She closed her eyes and sighed.

'_Not the way I planned any of this..._' she thought, as Fido came as sat next to her. He rubbed his head against her hand and she fussed him as Simon began to pace.

"We could always make a ship, but that would take time and where would we get the supplies? It doesn't look like there's anyone on the island who could sell us some and if there was we couldn't buy them because I don't have much money and I doubt you do either..." Simon began to mutter to himself and Maleen stopped listening. She looked out to sea and began to daydream again.

Memories.

So many of them.

Maleen usually thought about which memory she wanted to remember, but this one was involuntary. Her mind just began to wander...taking her to wherever it wanted to...

Her father. Jack Sparrow – correction: _Captain_ Jack Sparrow – of course, if her mind wanted to wander, it would wander there, but this thought was somehow important...

The scene flicked before her eyes – not making any sense at all. Things she hadn't seen before...but...that was her, wasn't it?

It all seemed so real. Every moment. Maleen felt she could feel the wind in her face and see everything before her. She could hear the clanging of the swords around her, the cackle of someone, and the cry of another. She could feel a single tear running down her face...or was it rain? Another one splashed down on her cheek – yes, rain...or perhaps tears as well...and she felt something. Something horrible. Like a deep hole in the centre of her heart.

She could see her father, but he wasn't happy. This made Maleen worried. He should be happy. They were together – she had found him – but he was still sad. His eyes were filled with fear. He looked so unhappy. Why wasn't he happy...?

"Maleen?"

She blinked and looked up to see Simon standing there, looking down at her with a grin.

"Daydreaming, are we?" He asked, and then looked into the trees, "perhaps we should try looking for someone anyway – you never know what we might find..."

"Why don't we just go up there?" Maleen suggested, pointing where the ground was highest. The tropical trees went upwards with it. It was like someone had just lifted up the earth and mounded it into a hill; as if they didn't like the flat landscape of everywhere else and wanted a change.

"We could get a great view of where we are from that height and would be able to tell whether or not there is any life. We might come across a village or something on the way and we need to find some source of clean drinking water and food before we get to hungry or dehydrated – that attack earlier really knocked the strength out of me. My throat feels like it's on fire." Now Maleen came to think of it, her throat was quite sore. It burned whenever she breathed and felt expanded in some way; like it had been forced to stretch by the amount of water in her lungs. It hurt to speak as well, and decided she'd better stay quiet for as much of the journey as she could...at least until they found water, anyway.

They began their journey quite soon after that, as Simon agreed that it was a smart idea. As long as they could see the giant mound of earth before them, there was a smaller possibility that they would get lost.

As they ventured deeper into the forest the flowers and trees they found became more and more exotic and colourful. They went from dull, pale yellows and blues to vibrant purples, reds and oranges. Maleen was amazed by the outstanding size of them as well – she'd never seen a flower that was any bigger than her hand.

Fido seemed interested in the new scenery too and Maleen noticed that he hardly ever took his nose off the ground when they first began their journey. The sand gradually disappeared and in its place was fresh, brown soil.

Maleen was so busy looking up at the tall trees and around at the wondrous flowers that she wasn't exactly looking where she was going. One minute she was examining a colourful flower – mostly orange, but with vibrant red rims around the petals – and the next she was laying face-down in the dirt.

"Ugh," She muttered, lifting her face off the ground and trying to make sense of what had just happened. It couldn't have happened in more than a blink's time – she didn't remember falling at all. She was looking at the flower, blinked and then, all of a sudden, she had been on the floor...now that wasn't right...

She got off her front and sat down to examine the damage. Her left knee was stinging slightly and her hands felt sore. She looked down at them – there were only a few scratches on them. But, as for her knee...

Maleen looked down at it and saw red.

"Oh, great," she muttered, dabbing at the smeared blood with her finger and wincing at the slight pain. Now she had seen it, the pain felt worse. The stinging was a little more intense – but no way was it as bad as when Lord Gulliver had burned her.

Just the memory of that made her squirm inside – she touched the burn, instinctively.

"You okay down there?" Simon asked in a surprised tone. He had turned to check on her and was shocked to find her on the floor, inspecting her hands, "decided to take a rest?"

"Not exactly," she replied, as Simon knelt down in front of her, "I fell."

"I can see that," His voice turned serious and Maleen watched as he reached into his pocket and brought out the all-familiar tin, "what did you trip on?"

"To be honest, I don't know," She said, half distracted by the cut on her knee. A trickle of blood was running down her leg and into her boot – she pulled it off and watched as the red liquid ran across her skin and onto the dirt at her feet.

"Did it hurt?"

"Not really, not compared to everything else I've been through," she looked back at her wrist again.

'_That did hurt...a lot..._' She thought, before looking back up at Simon. He had twisted the lid off the tin and was rubbing some of the gel onto his fingers. She watched as he rubbed one finger across the cut – directly across it – and then screwed the lid back on the tin.

"Really?" Maleen questioned, "that's all I need?"

"Well, it's only a minor graze – we only want to stop the bleeding really," Simon held up the tin slightly, "this stuff's hard to come by, so I don't think we should waste lots of it on little things such as this."

And with that he tucked the tin back into his pocket, got up, and began to walk again – leaving Maleen on the floor.

'_Gee, thanks a bunch_,' she said, mentally, and placed her hands on the ground – preparing to haul herself up again.

But that was when she spotted it; in that moment.

That _thing_.

She screamed slightly, in shock, before getting up slowly and walking towards it, cautiously.

It was some kind of creature – what kind, she wasn't sure. She'd never seen anything so...so _weird_ before. Maleen wasn't sure what to do with it.

"Hey, Simon, come and look at this!" She called up ahead. He could walk quite fast and was quite far away from her now. Fido was beside him, trotting along obediently.

"What is it?" He asked, before walking back to her.

"Just come and see!"

"Well, I can tell you only one fact for certain: that _thing_ is not normal."

Simon was holding the creature in his hand. He had been resistant at first – wanting to get on with the journey quickly so they could get off the island as soon as they could – but when Maleen had said it was _weird_ he had immediately become interested.

"It's horrible," She moaned, as Simon examined it, "what _is_ it?"

"For the third and last time; I don't _know_," He answered irritably, studying the dead thing in his hand.

All three of them looked at it. It looked like a lizard...but it wasn't a lizard.

Even though it was dead, Maleen could tell by the size of the creature's lids that its eyes were huge. Really huge. They could easily have been as big as hers – even though the little thing was the same size as her hand-span and it would look very disproportionate.

Its skin was a beautiful pale purple colour, with thin stripes in a darker shade sweeping across its back like blades of grass. It had a long, scaly tail that was about the same size as its body and on the end of it each toe, on each foot; there were tiny sharp claws – black claws that could do a serious amount of damage if it wanted to.

Simon lifted up the creature's upper lip to reveal a long and sticky, pink tongue; hidden behind a row of white teeth that were just as sharp – perhaps even sharper – than the claws.

None of it scared Maleen – after all, the creature was dead – not until Simon opened one of the lizard's eyes.

It wasn't dull, like any other dead-thing's eye would be. It was shiny, and looked alert; as if the thing was only pretending to be lifeless as a survival tactic.

And yellow.

A bright and vibrant yellow.

Maleen drew back in fright, but didn't scream this time.

"Would you look at that...?" Simon whispered to himself, in fascination as he studied the eye from different angles.

Maleen pulled a face of disgust.

'_They're just like cats' eyes..._' She thought, reassuring herself; '_just think of it as a cat..._'

It did help, even if it was only a little bit. She wasn't _scared_ of the thing in front of her just...wary. One thing she knew was for certain; if she came across one that was living, she would _not_ want to agitate it - for her own safety. Those teeth and claws looked like they could easily shred apart anything that made them aggressive.

"Can we get moving now?" Maleen asked, anxious to get away from the thing in front of them – whatever it was, "did you say you wanted to get up there before dark?"

"Actually, I didn't say that," Simon replied, turning to face her, "but, that would be a good idea..."

He placed the lizard back on the ground and looked up at the sky though the gaps in the trees. It had to be the afternoon by now – the sun was high in the sky and Simon knew that it would soon be sunset. Only a couple of hours away really...and then it would be dark. Only a couple more hours until they would have to stop and make camp.

"Alright then, we'd better get a move on..." He added, before getting up from his crouch and catching up with Maleen.

Fido stayed behind for a few moments to look at the lizard before him. It was...different. In obvious ways, as well as those only he could notice...

He lay low against the ground next to it and sniffed the top of the creature's head – only to find that it didn't smell too good. His shiny black nose filled with the scent of...of something gruesome. Something that reminded him of...rotting flesh.

Fido lifted his head instantly and looked at the lizard in a confused way before running back to the others.

But, as they walked away, they were unaware of what was moving behind them. The trio just kept on walking up the hill as the lizard they had just been looking at opened its eyes and lifted its head before skittering off into a deeper part of the rainforest...

The conversation died between Maleen and Simon quite quickly after they set off. Maleen limped slightly for a while, but the pain vanished all together and she was soon walking at her normal pace again. They talked about the lizard mostly, and Simon claimed to have heard about the species before – like everything else that he had heard of – Simon had said they were called something like Anoliko Lizards and could be deadly is they wanted to be. He also explained a weird rumour that they were found by a mysterious yet deadly tribe and had been used as 'pets' to ward others off the island. Simon guessed that was what the giant creature had been for as well.

"There was something else as well – some reason they wanted other people to stay away...but I can't remember why. We're safe, though – some fire killed them all years ago. Only two got away – Ezenwa; the Prince of the tribe who was air to the throne, and Naila; Her name means 'Queen of Life' and was one of those girls who gets what she wants. They haven't been heard of since then – God knows how they got away..."

Simon believed the rumours, obviously, but Maleen on the other hand, did not.

"Complete twaddle, if you ask me," She said, once Simon had finished explaining, "it's just a rumour, there can't really be some race of people who can't help but amuse themselves by taking the lives of others – it's just not believable. Whoever came up with it has a good imagination, but could do with a little more practice with making it believable."

After that they began to wander through the rainforest of colours in silence – not a sound past through their lips.

And that was when Maleen's mind began to wander yet again. She wasn't sure where it was going at first – visions of things she had seen, people she had met and songs she had heard all flew through her mind at an incredible speed, so she could only get a glimpse of them before they vanished. But, they stopped after a few moments, on a vision she had seen many times before.

She saw a hand – not just any old hand; her hand – flattened out, with her palm facing upwards. But, that wasn't all. Placed on her palm was an object she could have recognised anywhere. The compass.

Maleen came back to the present as soon as she saw it. For some reason she was scared, but only slightly.

She stopped walking and looked down at the object that had been swinging too-and-fro from her belt. And, before she even realized what she was doing, her fingers were reaching for it, and it was exactly like she had imagined – only, this time her palm wasn't flat; her fingers were griping the edge of the compass like it was the only thing that could keep her alive. Like it was what she lived for now.

But, of course, it wasn't what she lived for. She lived for so many other reasons – some she wasn't even aware of herself.

Yet, she was still staring at the compass with complete fascination.

'_What are you_ doing?' She asked herself, '_You can't…You promised him…_'

Maleen knew that the voice in her head was right, but she couldn't help herself. Her mind was telling her 'no', but her fingers just weren't listening – they were making their way across the compass; stroking each of the sides before stopping at something. Something important. Something that Maleen wasn't, really, supposed to touch.

The latch.

Previously she had realized what she had been doing and stopped. But this time was different. This time she knew exactly what she was doing, but just couldn't stop herself.

'_Stop!_' She kept thinking, but her fingers just wouldn't obey the command, '_you can't do it!_'

'_But you want to…_' Another part of her argued, '_you know you want to…you've wanted this since he gave it to you…_'

And Maleen knew that the second voice was right; she _did_ want to – very much, indeed. Her curiosity had been growing by a small millimetre every day for the past eight years and now…now it was just about as big as it could get before it exploded and she could wait no longer.

And so – this time with her permission – Maleen's fingers flicked up the latch and flipped open the compass…

She couldn't believe she had done it.

Another promise broken.

She had opened the compass when she didn't need to.

But it was too late now. It had already happened. And she was looking at the needle with fascination.

Maleen watched as it swung for n more than a few seconds, before pointing directly at Fido, who were disappearing through the trees up ahead.

'_Really?_' Maleen thought, astonished, '_Out of everything in the world, I want to be with Fido?_'

No, that wasn't right. Not for Maleen, anyway. Her father was who she wanted to be with. She wanted _him_, not Fido.

Captain Jack Sparrow. Something had to be wrong.

"Simon!" Maleen called, as she started to run to him, "Simon, look at this!"

"What is it?" Simon asked when Maleen was by his side. Then he saw the compass, "I thought you weren't supposed to open that."

"I wasn't..." Maleen began, "but, I did. But it's not pointing to what I want most, like you said it would."

"What do you mean?"

"It's pointing at Fido, not my father."

"How do you know?"

"I just _do_,"

Simon paused for a moment and then seemed to have gotten an idea. Maleen watched as he pulled out his own compass and asked permission to use hers in silence, with just a nod of the head. Maleen handed it to him without hesitation and saw that Simon was comparing the two.

He turned in numerous directions before handing it back to her.

"What were you doing?"

Simon ignored her question, "There are two possibilities," He said, "Either your father is north from here, or that compass is a fake."

"A fake?"

"Afraid so," He concluded, showing which of the possibilities he thought was true, "I guess he had a good reason though – that compass is worth a million."

"I know, I just...I thought he trusted me enough to keep it," Maleen said, looking at the object in her hands, that were almost completely worthless, "Obviously not."

"Yes, maybe," Simon replied, "But think about it. If you had something of a big value, would you give it to anyone? Even if they were family?"

Maleen considered it, "Probably not, but I'd trust my father enough with it."

Simon smiled, "Probably sell it or never give it back, the filthy mongrel…" He muttered.

"What?" Maleen's voice turned to ice. Rage built inside of her, "What did you just say?"

He looked at her, considering his choice of words, "You know I've had issues with him in the past…"

"But that doesn't give you permission to insult him in front of me!" She hissed the words through clenched teeth, glaring at Simon with fearless eyes. "I don't care what happened between you two," she added, starting to walk again, "there's nothing I can do about it. And if you still haven't gotten over it, you're a child. It was years ago. He may have made you hate him for the rest of eternity, but _no one_ – no one at all – will insult _my_ father in front of me and be glad about it. _Understand?_"

Simon looked at her with angry eyes at first, but the anger melted away quickly into understanding.

She was upset. She was a fourteen-year-old girl looking for her father who abandoned her eight years ago, with no hint as to where he was going or why he was going there. Her father had a bad reputation and she had now discovered that a compass – which she had heard had some magic bestowed on it – was not special at all. That, maybe, she was only going after her father because she was alone. Jack was her only family – whether she loved him for who he was or not – now that Maleen had left her mother behind, and that was all she wanted. A family. Someone to love her and treat her as if she were the only person who lived on Earth. So she could get her childhood back and not worry about surviving at all.

Was that the only reason Maleen was going after Jack Sparrow? So she would have a family?

Simon looked at her. Her anger had faded and she was just standing, waiting for an answer.

"Yes," Simon answered, quietly, "I understand."

"Good," Maleen replied, "Because I don't like to hear things like that. Not about my father, anyway."

'_Because you're afraid of who he really is,_' Simon wanted to say out loud, but he could only think the words, '_you don't want to know what others feel. You created a perfect image of him in those eight years that he's been gone. You want him to be that special; because he's almost the only person you have left…He's your father. But you have to ask yourself, some day, Maleen – do you really want to be with him? Or are you just afraid of being alone?_'

But, of course, Simon couldn't say those words. Maleen had lost enough as it was. The only family she had now was her father. He was the only person she could ever live for now. No family.

If anything happened to Jack, Maleen would be alone – completely alone.

And Simon believed that that was the reason why she was so determined.

She was scared of being alone.

'_How could he have said such a thing?_' Maleen thought as they carried on walking, '_I told him I understand about his problems between him and my father, but honestly, did he have to say something like that?_'

She had managed to keep most of her anger under control whilst giving Simon a telling-off. If Maleen had let herself she would have surely jumped at him and hurled him to the ground. She loved her father, and she would not stand anyone who insulted him – especially as forward as Simon had.

'_I'll push him over next time anything like that comes out of his mouth,_' She promised herself, '_just you wait and see, Simon. Just you wait…_'

She looked down at the compass that was swinging freely from her belt, like it always did – banging against her thigh every time she took a step forward – but, unlike usual, she didn't smile or even feel happy.

She felt cheated.

And guilty.

And confused.

Cheated because of how her father had _almost_ lied to her. She had been told that this was possibly one of the most valuable things in the world, only to find that, actually, it only pointed north. Her father had given her something that was so special to her – something that had been passed down to her generation. But it wasn't the real thing. Jack had kept the best for himself.

She felt guilty, for breaking her promise to her father – which she had also promised she would keep. They had promised each other. Maleen had promised to keep everything a secret and keep everything safe and untouched, and Jack had promised that his going-away-for-a-while was a good thing. From what Maleen could gather, they had both broken their promise. Her father had left her. Without warning. One morning he was there and the next, he was gone. It happened so suddenly that it was as if he never even said goodbye. Like he just cleared off while she and her mother were asleep. And it had been so long since Maleen had seen her father; she was wondering whether or not to call him 'father' any more. He hadn't acted like much of a father to her in the past eight years. He was more like a stranger now. He would no doubt have changed a lot since they saw each other last…

And confused.

Confused because Jack had told her not to open it – the compass. There was nothing special about it, so why could it only have been opened when she needed it? When she _really_ needed it? It was a regular compass that pointed north, so why was there some big secret that Jack had given her?

Was it just about the promise?

Was it just about the lie?

Maleen had no idea. All she knew was that there was some reason why he had done it – whether it was a good one, or just Captain Sparrow having some fun.

'_What are you doing?_' A voice in Maleen's head asked, in a startled tone, '_you're thinking of your father as some villain. How could you even imagine that he made you promise just for fun? Surely there was a reason that he did it. There has to be one…_'

'_But, you did say so yourself that he hasn't been much of a father to you over the past couple of years_,' another voice said, '_he could have changed, for all you know. Remember what he did to Simon's fiancée, Martina? He is a pirate after all. And pirates take no notice of laws…_'

'_But he can't be that bad_,' the first voice argued, '_it's been eight years; can people really change that much in eight years?_'

'_I did_,' Maleen thought, silencing the other voice immediately. The small argument in her head vanished, '_since Jack left I've become far more independent. Far more mature. I'm no longer the little girl I used to be. Jack could have changed just as much. He might not even recognize who I am any more…_'

Maleen pictured it in her head. They arrived at some port and she saw him; dressed in the clothes he had worn most of the time when he had been at home. The baggy, white shirt, knee-high boots with his trousers tucked into them – keeping them out of the way. His thick, black hair that was scraped back, out of the way, just like it used to be and the red bandana that went right across his forehead. Not forgetting that tricorne hat of his.

Maleen imagined looking at him, seeing him, recognizing him. She pictured herself running towards him and looking up into his dark brown eyes.

And he just stared back at her, blankly. Looking at her face and seeing nothing that he recognized.

Would he even remember that he had a daughter?

Would he remember mother? And all of the good times they had spent together as a family? The nights when they would sit in front of the fire and he and mother would take it in turns to read to her?

It had been a happy time. She couldn't remember much, because she had been so young, but Maleen remembered that she had been happy as an infant. Her imaginative nature had been encouraged. And now…

Now all of that was gone. Jack had cleared off for some reason, after upsetting Beckett. He had left Maleen behind and her mother to be hanged for associating with pirates – apparently, for their own protection.

But was he a bad man? Maleen's mother didn't seem to think so. According to her, he had been fun to be around. Maleen knew she had loved him with all of her heart, and he might have loved her back in the same way.

And then Maleen remembered the letter.

The letter from her mother.

'I cannot tell you why he left, as he wishes me not to, but he did have a good reason, Maleen, so I must ask you not to be angry with him. He loved you very much, as you must know...'

'...I cannot break that bond between you and, when you find him – as a determined girl like you, I'm sure you will – tell him I love him, will you? For me. Thank him for all the good times we have had together since we were young...'

Maleen couldn't just give up on him, not yet. Even if she changed her mind about Jack, she had to go after him. For her mother. One of her mother's last wishes was that Jack knew she had loved him.

'_And, who knows, he may have even changed for the better..._' Maleen thought, even though, deep down, a small part of herself didn't believe it.

So, the quest would continue as normal. Simple as that. Maleen would go after Jack whether she wanted to or not and all she could do was wait and see what their meeting would be like. She concluded, that the only way to know if she still loved her father like she had done for the previous years, was to find him, meet him and see how he reacted.

Simple as that.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

The Village

The silence went on and Maleen began to feel uncomfortable. Why wasn't there anything for them to talk about? Surely there had to be something that they were both interested in…But Maleen found that, when she came to think about it, she couldn't come up with anything.

"So are we just going to walk in silence the whole way?" Maleen had asked at one point during the journey.

"Maybe, depends on whether you've got anything you want to discuss…" Simon had replied, "…have you?"

Maleen had paused for thought, but could think of nothing.

"Okay, so maybe there's nothing relevant to talk about…" She finally said, as Simon stood there, smirking at her, "but, what about your childhood? What was life like for you, as a kid?"

"Not much to say, really," He answered, his smirk vanished from his face in a blink, "my father was a drunk. So much so that he drank himself to death. I was young then – could hardly remember him after he'd gone. Sad really, but I didn't mind. He'd never been there for me. As for my mother, well…after my father died she got anger issues and beat me just because she felt like it. After that I ran away and never saw her again. I'm glad really. She made my life a misery."

"That's horrible," Maleen whispered in shock.

"Nah, not really," Simon had his stride back and was looking directly ahead, walking perhaps a little too fast than necessary, "I lived better after that. Away from the violence of her, I got a job, earned some money, met a girl and then got taken away from her. So, we agreed to meet somewhere. I'll see her again, though...So, you see? No sadness at all. Never did lose the scars though…still got them…"

Maleen wasn't sure what to say. Simon had told her that there was no sadness, but she still felt the need to comfort him. If she was in his shoes, she would expect at least a few words to make her feel a little better. But what to say to him?

"I'm sorry," Was the only answer she could come up with that seemed to fit the situation. She looked at Simon as she said it, but he didn't look back at her.

"Don't be," He said, "in some ways I deserved it."

"Well…" Maleen began, but she couldn't finish her sentence. How could he have _deserved_ those scars? He had only been a boy when he got them.

"You deserved them?"

"In a way, yes,"

"_Why_?"

Simon slowed his pace a little and looked at her.

"I'd rather not say," He said in a low voice, "Some things should be left where they are – and never touched."

That had silence Maleen. It reminded her of her previous thoughts – about Jack.

"Where along the way did you become a pirate?" She asked, moving away from the subject of scars.

"Not long after I met your father," Simon sighed, "he got away, leaving me there. The men weren't happy that I had just let him run off though – they had some real problem with him – they handed me into to the East India Trading Company for 'associating with a pirate'; they branded me, and threw me in a jail cell. I escaped a few days after that though – they really should take better care of their prisoners."

"How did you escape?"

"The same way we did – I picked the lock using my knife and whatever else I could find and just…ran."

Ran. The word created a strange picture in her head – of Simon running frantically, but with a smile on his face. He was being chased by a marine, but he still seemed hysterical. The picture made Maleen smile slightly – it would have been so funny to watch.

"Hmm," Maleen answered, in satisfaction.

"Any more questions you want to ask?"

"I don't think so," She replied, "but," she added, as Simon looked up ahead again, "I don't want silence either – it's weird."

"Silence is weird to you?"

"No, just…uncomfortable."

"How?"

"Oh, I don't know," Maleen looked away, "I guess it makes me feel like I should say something, but can't. I don't know what to talk about."

"So don't talk," Simon concluded for her with a cheeky grin.

Maleen glared at him, playfully.

"You know what I mean," She said, "I'm getting tired of just thinking about stuff. It's getting boring. Tell me more about yourself."

"Why?"

She sighed, "Never mind then."

"What? What did I do?"

"You got on my nerves, like you are doing now," Maleen answered him; her voice was strained as she tried to stop herself from shouting.

"Fine, tell me more about _your_self." Simon said. It was more like an order than a request.

"Nothing more to tell," She said, glumly.

"Sure there is," He said encouragingly a smile on his face, "there's got to be something you haven't told me."

"Yeah, there are loads of things that have happened and I haven't told you about," Maleen replied, "But they're all just…regular day stuff. You'd find it boring."

"You never know, I might find it interesting,"

"Yeah, right,"

"Come on," Simon nudged her in the ribs with his elbow, "tell me."

"It's nothing really. Just little things like when I got up in a morning; I'd go downstairs and my mother and father would be sitting there at the table in the kitchen talking, and sometimes eating breakfast together. And, sometimes we'd go down to the dock and sit and watch the boats come in, just talking…and I'd go shopping, sometimes, for food, with my mother…you know, little things. Things that don't matter."

But, deep down, Maleen felt that they did matter. That those little insignificant moments were the ones that mattered the most. Because, if it weren't for them, the rest of the moments that were better, and more memorable, would never have happened – the same went for the bad though.

"I also remember that my father used to go away a lot, but as I got older he spent more time with me. Not a whole lot more, but he didn't go on really long trips and he stayed with me as long as he could. I guess…I guess that's why I think those other ones were so important; because I hardly spent any time with him. Any time that we shared together was precious, you know? I had to make the most of it."

"Is that why you're so fond of him?"

"I think so. But, he never really got to know me that well, and I was only young – a lot younger than I am now. I'll be surprised if he recognized me when I see him."

Simon noticed that she said 'when' instead of 'if'. Maleen was determined to find her father. Captain Jack Sparrow. And, Simon realized he felt a little sorry for her – and that he was hoping; hoping that Jack didn't disappoint her.

"I doubt he'll remember anything about me, either," She whispered, "it's been so long for me…"

Simon didn't know how to reply to this. Maleen seemed to be preparing to pour her heart out with all the emotions she'd been holding back – anger, sadness, regret – and he wasn't quite sure whether he was ready for that.

"Simon?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think Jack will have forgotten me?" She asked; her voice steady whilst looking up at him with those sparkling blue eyes. But this time they weren't shining because of the light; they were shining with tears that were threatening to fall.

"I…" Simon began, but he didn't know what to say next. He had no idea what Jack was like towards his daughter – they were distant from what he had gathered and guessed that their first meeting would be a bit awkward because of the years they had spent away from each other. Maleen was right about the changing-over-time business as well – she would no longer love the same things as she used to, and, chances were, neither would Jack. He would have become more of a pirate, if that was what he lived like – more friendly towards the sea.

Maleen was looking at him, expectantly, worriedly.

"Of course he won't have forgotten you," Simon finally replied, as he pushed back leaves and various plants that were in their way. Maleen kept looking at him intently, "he just might have…"

His voice trailed off as he stared straight ahead.

"He might have what?" Maleen urged, pulling on his sleeve, "Jack might have done what?"

But Simon didn't answer. Instead he just stared straight ahead. His eyes flicked in various directions, taking in what he saw before him.

Maleen only noticed when she followed his line of sight.

It was saddening.

Before her was a sight that reminded her of another. Of when she had come home one night to an empty house; and alone, in the dark, she had found a letter that explained everything – or most things – that she wanted to know.

But no letter was needed to guess what had happened here.

A village.

Empty.

Eerie.

Still.

And, what was worse, was the blackness of everything.

Everything was burned. Everything. Maleen could see nothing in her line of sight that hadn't been touched by the flames. Everywhere was either black, or gone.

Maleen began to walk slowly through the village, Simon investigating on his own path.

It could barely pass as a village it was that small. Maleen could see from one end to the other without a spyglass. Only ten or so huts were there, but Maleen still felt sorry for whoever had been driven out of their homes.

And, it got even worse.

Maleen looked inside some of the huts to see what could have been a happy family room. Instead, charred pots lay on the floor along with burned food and bowls. But, beside the few things that lay untouched, – half of a rug, a cupboard with a blackened corner and a, to Maleen's surprise, a sword, a bow and a handful of arrows – skeletons of the hut's previous owners lay still; unmoving on the floor.

Maleen could see one of them lying on the ground with its hands placed upon a few of their belongings – a pearl necklace and a few coins. Perhaps they had tried to run with their precious possessions but in the delay had lost the most precious of all – their lives.

In another hut Maleen saw a whole family of them. Four corpses of different sizes – one the size of a young baby – lay splayed about around the room. Their bones charred from when the flames had licked up at them with their heat.

"This is horrible," Maleen whispered, as Simon came up behind her, "who would have done this to them?"

Simon didn't look back at her; he just stared, blankly at the piles of bones inside the hut.

"I don't know," he answered, truthfully, "but, honestly, I think they deserved it."

Maleen was shocked.

"How could you _say_ something like that?"

"Easily," Simon answered, leaving no other explanation with his words, but he was willing to show her what he meant.

He walked over to one of the corpses and turned it over so it was lying on its ribcage. Only then did Maleen see the difference between this skeleton and the ones she had seen in books, or been told about.

This one had extra bones.

On it's back.

They stretched out like a spider's web, joining together at one end, but hanging loose at the other. They looked sinister…like the wings of a bat.

"What are they?" Maleen asked, her heart pounding in her chest so loud she could hear it in her ears. Whatever these things were, she no longer felt sorry for them; she felt scared.

What if one of them had got away?

Would it be lurking in the shadows? Waiting for them to come near…?

"Do you remember what I told you earlier today?" Simon asked, as he looked outside at the setting sun, "about the village that burned down?"

"Sort of…why?" Maleen asked.

All Simon did was look around before Maleen got the picture.

This was the village.

"But…does that mean…?" She could get her words out right, "The girl…and…the boy – the child of the king…and…and you said they _killed_ people..."

He didn't speak, once again. He hadn't been listening. He had turned over the corpse once again, so it was lying on its back, and was now opening the jaw of the skull.

Maleen looked over his shoulder, as Simon revealed two large canine teeth.

She gasped.

The teeth were long and delicately curved with a visibly sharp tip. Maleen imagined them tearing through flesh and piecing skin, drawing blood onto the surface on the victim's body. She imagined seeing the creature smiling with ruby red lips – red with blood.

"Oh…oh my…" She couldn't finish her sentence as fear swept over her, "they're…you weren't…I can't…" She stuttered in a quiet voice. Maleen was on the verge of hyperventilating, "what _are_ they?"

"I don't know the name of them," Simon answered, tilting the corpse's skull so he could get a better look at the teeth, "but they're some kind of tribe, I guess. I've heard names before like 'fallen angels', 'night-hunters' or 'the cursed ones'. There's something like a place for rituals out there, somewhere. I saw it earlier. I think they worship something – whether it's a person or a god or something else…I can show you, if you want, but we got to do it quick before the sun disappears."

"No, I'm fine," Maleen said quickly, looking out of the window of the hut, "Let's make camp. But I want it as far away from here as we can get before we need to make a fire in order to see."

"Alright," Simon agreed, getting up, "You probably need some water as well, really. Especially after the event that occurred earlier today. There's a small river behind the trees over there."

"Yeah, of course," She said, stroking Fido's head and picking up a small black feather that was resting on it. If she was honest, she had forgotten about her nearly-drowning experience – but her throat was a bit sore.

She dropped the feather on the ground, before following Simon out of the hut.

It landed on the floor without a sound, curving upwards towards the sky and the moon that was just beginning to appear behind the misty clouds.

They found the river easy enough and it soon became dark. Maleen was finding it difficult to see before Simon lit a fire – and even then it only lit the small clearing they were setting up camp in. And it was very small. So small in fact, that Maleen could lay one side of the fire with Simon on the other and there would hardly be any room for Fido.

But that was exactly what they did.

Maleen lay on her back on the hard ground of the forest floor. There was a small gap in the trees above her head where she could just about see the stars.

The stars.

They were still just as special as before – holding onto the same memories. But, this time, Maleen was unsure about them. Did they really mean that much to her? They were just some twinkly lights up in the sky. Nobody else was so fond of them, were they?

Maleen doubted the possibility. She doubted most things, really. A few days ago she had been so certain on what she wanted - so fixed, so focused that no one could have persuaded her otherwise.

But now…now she wasn't so sure. There were so many questions she had never bothered to think about that were now springing up in her mind. Questions she had never considered thinking about...

Would Jack still love her, like he used to?

Would he have changed over the eight years they had spent apart?

Why did he leave so many unsolved mysteries behind him when he left?

Why did he leave her behind, with her mother?

Why couldn't they have come too?

Why hadn't he come back, like he had promised he would?

But, as she had already established with herself, the only person who could answer those questions about Captain Jack Sparrow was the man himself.

Captain Jack Sparrow…

A few days ago Maleen would be alert at just the thought of his name. If she heard anyone talking about him, she would immediately listen in, in case there was some information that could help her on her quest.

But now…now it was just a name to her. Or, that was what it felt like. She no longer filled with hope whenever she thought about him. She never went off and dreamt about the possible ways they could meet, or what future memories there could be together.

Now Captain Jack was just a person. Her father by blood, but not by name. He was just Jack to her. 'Father' didn't quite seem to fit the role he had been playing in her life.

"What are you thinking about?" Simon asked her, as he lay on one side to face her; propping himself up on his elbow.

Maleen smiled, but didn't look back at him, "Ah…nothing much." She said, as her smile vanished.

"Come on, tell me," He urged.

"You're acting very nice all of a sudden," Maleen stated, trying to change the subject.

"Am I not allowed to be nice?"

"No," Maleen replied, bluntly.

"Alright then," He said, his voice turning slightly pushier, "Tell me what you're thinking about. Now."

Maleen smiled again. She didn't answer his question, once more.

Simon lay there, watching her, for a few moments; studying her expression.

She looked stressed…and worried. Her eyebrows pulled down into a small furrow. Her lips were set in what seemed like a frown and her eyes…her eyes were full of sadness.

"What's up, kiddo?" He said in a soft voice.

She sighed and Simon thought he was going to get a blunt answer once again.

"Just…just worried about those lizards," She said, but she wasn't looking at him. Her face was now turned away. All Simon could see was a curtain of black hair, wrapping around her shoulders and flowing across her neck.

"Are you sure?" He asked her, "Because, you can tell me if something's up, you know."

"I'm sure," Maleen muttered, almost inaudibly, "goodnight."

"'Night," Simon replied.

But he still wasn't satisfied with the way things had ended. Maleen looked sad, and for some reason this made him sad, too. He would never show her that he was bothered by it – he was far too proud for that – but Simon felt that he needed to know what was troubling Maleen. Not for his sake, for hers.

There was nothing he could do now, though. Maleen had rolled over onto her side, with her back facing Simon now. He didn't know whether she was asleep or awake so decided to try and get the information out of her the next morning.

He rolled over onto his back once again and closed his eyes; letting his mind wander to wherever it wanted.

He lay there, drifting off to sleep, unaware that a single tear was silently rolling down Maleen's cheek.

It splashed onto the ground beneath her, just as another threatened to fall.

Maleen woke to the sound of snuffling. She ignored it at first. It couldn't be anything harmless, probably Fido just sniffing around like he normally did in a morning. The ally always had new smells each morning – according to Fido it did, anyway.

'_Wait a second…_' Maleen thought, '_I'm not in Port Royal anymore…_'

She kept her eyes shut as she tried to remember what had happened and where she was. Had it really only been two days ago that she was running on the sands by the dock?

But, where was she now? And who was she with? It didn't feel like a boat beneath her, or a bench from a jail cell. So where was she…?

Maleen's thoughts stopped as something cold and wet swept across her cheek.

"Ugh!" She screamed, sitting up and wiping the wetness away. She opened her eyes to see Fido standing there; tongue hanging out, tail wagging, his brown eyes fixed on her.

She glared back making Fido's tail droop and his tongue vanished back into his mouth.

"Stupid mutt…" Maleen muttered, fussing him behind the ear – his tail returned to its original position.

"Finally woken up, have you, Maleen?" Simon asked her. She turned at the sound of his voice, startled. Maleen then realized something – she'd forgotten about Simon.

"Yeah, sort of," She replied.

"Hungry?"

"Of course,"

He threw her a piece of fruit. Maleen didn't hesitate to think of what it might be before biting into it.

Red juice refreshed her taste buds as she ate it. The skin of it had been a red colour – slightly like an apple, but a little softer – but Maleen hadn't stopped to admire its colours. She had been so hungry; the whole thing didn't last very long.

"So, what's the plan for today?" She asked after swallowing her third mouthful of fruit.

"I thought we'd follow the river, if that's alright with you," Simon answered. He wasn't eating anything, but Maleen noticed a speck of pink-red juice on his shirt. Perhaps he'd eaten already.

"Sounds good," She said, "when are we setting off?"

"As soon as you're done," he answered. Maleen smiled.

"Well then, that'll be soon, won't it?" She said, finishing off the fruit and throwing the core into a nearby bush for the animals to eat, "let's go."

She climbed up off the ground with a hand from Simon and they began to head back towards the river that Maleen had drunk from the night before. She hadn't seen it well in the dark, but now a few rays of sunlight were pouring through the gaps in the leaves up above her head and finer details revealed themselves to her eyes.

The water was a beautiful clear blue, with little shimmers of the morning light bouncing off the ripples of water as it flowed gently downstream. It was surrounded by life - trees, flowers, bushes and animals, no doubt - and Maleen loved it. She remembered leaning over the edge in the dark and cupping the water in her hands before bringing it to her parched lips. It had been cool and refreshing – a great way to relax at the end of the day.

It had been slightly spooky in the dark though. The night before had haunted her slightly; daemons threatened her as she lay tossing and turning in her disturbed sleep. She hadn't seen much in those dreams - just blackness and the feeling of falling. But they had been enough.

Enough for Maleen to feel frightened.

Enough to remind her of when she was younger – of the nights when she had been frightened by nightmares or thunder from outside. It reminded her of how she had always crept to her parents' room in the darkness and tapped on the wooden door with her little knuckles.

"Mother? Father?" She had whispered, checking whether or not they were there, "are you awake?"

She never really waited for a reply before tiptoeing into the room and closing the door. Maleen stood with her back to it whilst speaking.

"I had a nightmare again," she would say, or; "the thunder is scaring me."

If he was there, Jack would be the one to get up and comfort her and tell her it was alright, but mother sometimes did it too. She was a heavier sleeper than Jack was, though, and sometimes needed a bit of poking before her eyes opened.

But, after one or the other had got out of bed, they would take Maleen back to her room. After tucking her under the covers once more, telling her that everything would be alright and that the scary monsters under her bed were just dreams, they would kiss her on the top of the head, blow out the candle and close the door behind them as they walked out.

On rare occasions, when neither of them were willing enough to get up, Maleen had managed to wriggle her way into her parents' bed and sleep there for the rest of the night. It had always made her feel safe and secure being between them both – her mother on her left and her father on her right – she had felt protected from all of the monsters that had been chasing her through her dreams, or the terrible loud noises from outside, in the sky. Maleen had known that she was safe and loved, back then.

But now her life was different.

That night, the first night they had spent of the island, had terrified her.

Maleen had not felt safe. She had not felt secure or protected. And, what made matters worse, was that the monsters were no longer in her head. They were real.

She had seen them with her own eyes. There were things out there that could do her some serious harm if they wanted to and this time there was no one she loved to protect her.

Her mother had been hung. Her father had disappeared. And she was all alone. No one to love; no one to be loved by.

Maleen had no one.

No family.

No one who could shield her from the ghosts and ghouls of her dreams.

She had felt scared.

Upset.

Alone.

And she knew she could never tell Simon about it. She knew he wouldn't care. Why _should_ he care if Maleen was having nightmares? Why _should_ he care she was remembering things that she didn't want to?

Her life was different now. She was no longer the insecure, scared little girl she used to be. She was Maleen Sparrow, daughter of Captain Jack, and she was growing into a determined young woman. It wouldn't be long before she was expected to make her own decisions and no longer depend on anyone else's help – even if she was already fending for herself, she would soon have to do it anyway; whether she wanted to or not.

And the terrifying nightmares didn't make letting go of her youth any easier. She was falling into nothingness in those dreams of hers. Falling, and never stopping. Falling, and having that dreaded, adrenalin-filled fear inside of her.

The fear of dying.

Of falling through all of this blackness to her death.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Attack

Maleen's thoughts continued as they carried on their journey. Simon kept asking whether she was alright, which only made matters worse. He was only asking because it was polite – because he felt he had to, rather than wanting an answer. His false care only made the knot in her stomach grow tighter.

He tried making conversation with her a few times to, which she was grateful for – even if she didn't reply very enthusiastically. Silence still seemed a difficult situation between them, but at that moment, Maleen would have rather been alone with her thoughts.

"Weather's nice, don't you think?" He had said at one point, as they walked next to the river. Its waters flowed past gently, with a bubbly noise.

"Yeah, sun - like always. Nice." Maleen had replied, bluntly, shrugging.

Silence.

"How's your throat feeling, after yesterday's mishap?"

"Okay. Getting better."

Silence.

"Let's hope we don't run into any more creatures, hey?"

"Yeah."

"Those lizards didn't look nice."

"No."

Silence.

It was driving Maleen slowly insane – and only getting Simon more and more anxious and annoyed himself. The continuous questions were like gun shots, and Maleen was dodging getting caught up by any of them for very long. Simon, on the other hand, was becoming short of things to say. He had tried everything he could think of and yet he still hadn't got a decent answer from her.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Simon asked for the thousandth time since they had set off.

"Yes," Maleen replied, sharply – perhaps a little sharper than she had intended, "I'm fine, okay?"

"Sure?"

"Yes," She said, looking him directly in the eyes, "I'm fine."

"Because I've already said..."

"That I can talk to you about it if I want to," Maleen finished for him, "but I don't _want_ to talk about it, Simon, okay?"

"So there _is _something up?" Simon said, triumphantly. His lips twisted into a smirk as he stared on ahead.

"So what if there is? I'm still not going to talk about it."

"I'm just saying..."

"Well you don't _need _to be 'just saying'," Maleen said, her voice softening, "I'm fine, honestly. And, if I decide that I want to tell you, I promise; I will."

And with that, the small argument was over.

Just like that.

'_Why can't he just leave me alone?_' Maleen asked herself, in thought, '_isn't it obvious that I don't want to talk?_'

Luckily for her, Simon did leave her alone after that. He no longer tried to start a conversation every five minutes and he no longer kept asking her what was wrong. He had given up trying to get the truth from her. If she wanted to bottle it up until she exploded, then he wasn't going to stop her. It was her choice and he could do nothing about it.

Yet, there was still a small part of Simon that made him glance at Maleen every so often. He saw her sad, thoughtful expression and had to clamp his mouth shut in order to stop himself from asking her whether or not she was alright, again. She looked so...confused.

And that made Simon confused.

Why was she confused? What was there to be confused about? Nothing that had happened had any hidden secret behind it. It was all up in their faces – showing them exactly what was going on. There was nothing that had happened that was at all confusing.

Well, there were a few things that were slightly unexpected.

There was the fact that they had managed to become so...comfortable with each other in such a short amount of time. They'd known each other for no more than a day and a half and yet he already felt slightly protective over her – as if he were her uncle or some other kind of relative. He felt...almost concerned for her. Worried by the fact she was anxious.

There was also the village they had found. It could be she was wondering about what had happened back then, and what those creatures had looked like. She could have been worrying about them, too. That, maybe, one of them had escaped and stayed on the island; preparing to pounce.

But, somehow, Simon knew that none of these were the answer. Maleen was concerned about something else. Something she didn't want to share with anyone, because it was so precious to her. Something deeper than just bony creatures with sharp teeth and strange wings.

'_But what could it be...?_' Simon thought, glancing at Maleen again. She was gnawing on her bottom lip, staring up ahead, blankly.

'_Well, think about it_,' the helpful part of Simon's mind piped up, '_what do you _think _she's worried about?_ _Put the clues together..._'

'_Think about it...hmm..._'

Something precious - private. Something she'd rather leave alone just for _her_ to think about. Something that Maleen wouldn't want anyone else to know – or, at least, not yet.

'_Hmm..._' He thought again, running a hand through his hair. He glanced over at Maleen again – she was looking at him.

"What now?" Maleen asked, holding his gaze, "I _knew_ you were looking at me - I've already told you, I'm fine."

"I know," Simon replied, innocently.

"That's it?" her eyebrows pulled down into a frown again, "you're just dropping it?"

"Yes, I thought that's what you wanted?"

"It is. I just didn't expect you to be so...easy going. You were being really consistent earlier – not leaving me alone."

"Well, I've stopped now," Simon replied, "for good. I will no longer bother you. I'll just wait until you can't hold it in any longer. You'll end up telling me eventually, so I can't understand why you're keeping it from me."

"It's still a bit raw at the moment – I can't make my mind up about it," She sighed, then looked at him; her eyes tight and serious, "besides, some things should be left where they are – and never touched."

Simon said nothing for a moment, startled by the impact that his own words caused. He looked at her – she was staring straight ahead, once again.

"I guess you're right." He finally said.

"No, you're the one who's right."

This confused him.

"You're the one who said those 'wise words' in the first place – you were right. Something should be left where they are," She looked at him again, her eyes had a certain wisdom to them – one that wasn't of a child, "thank you, but I have no need for your concern."

Simon had nothing to say to that. He looked down at Fido who seemed to have been listening in on their conversation; somehow Simon thought he looked anxious too. His eyes looked sad, his ears were no longer up and alert, like they usually were and his tail wasn't wagging. Simon smirked at him.

'_Funny dog,_' he thought, giving him a scratch behind the ear.

It wasn't long after that, that the incident happened.

They carried on walking alongside the river – Fido now leading the way, Maleen still antisocial and Simon still equally as anxious about her – but stopped for a rest after Maleen said she felt thirsty.

They found a suitable place to stop. There was a small patch of reed-like grass and a large rock to sit on. The stream was deeper here too, so it would be easier for Maleen to drink from. The sun – now quite high in the sky - peeked through gaps in the trees up above them, casting strange beams of light onto the ground below. They created a manor of shapes; all unique and strange in their own way.

Simon leant against the rock whilst watching Maleen drink from the stream, it still puzzled him that she wouldn't talk about what was troubling her. But, then again, he didn't share why he deserved those scars, either.

He glanced down at his wrist, where the branding mark was. His sleeves were rolled up and it was clear where the letter 'P' burned onto his skin. Luckily, the scars he had were on his back and upper arms – hidden from Maleen's eyes.

He would never forget how he received them, or why, but Simon felt he deserved them. He wasn't going to tell Maleen about this. It would surely upset her. A young girl like her wouldn't want to imagine what had happened.

He was stood casually - all of his weight on his back, pressed against the rock, one arm resting on top of it, the other swinging by his side. His heels were pressed into the ground, giving him a little more sturdiness.

Simon tilted his head back to look upwards at the branches in the trees. The sun was blinding – so much so that he ended up just leaning back with his eyes shut; the sun's rays warming his face.

And that was when he felt something brush across his hand.

Simon didn't stir straight away; he expected it was some kind of insect or bug as it brushed over the hand that was resting on the rock. But, just when he thought it was gone, it brushed over again. And the second time he realised it was a little too heavy to be an insect.

Yes, it was definitely heavier, and felt...almost silky. Scaly. Insects weren't usually scaly.

It seemed to be crawling up, across his hand, too - making its way further up his arm. Simon felt sharp claws dig into his clothes. They didn't piece his skin; he felt no serious pain when they clung onto him. But it wasn't exactly comfortable either.

That was when he opened his eyes...and saw what it was.

Now Simon felt stupid for not looking to see what was crawling on him. Anyone else would have. Maleen would have shrieked if she felt anything brush across her. Screamed and pushed the thing away, no doubt.

But that was irrelevant now.

Simon needed to concentrate on something else.

The Anoliko lizard.

Its purple scales shone in the sunlight, casting rainbow reflections across Simon's face. Its yellow eyes were bright, alive and fierce; preparing to strike. And the teeth. The teeth were brilliantly white, curved and shining – as sharp as needles.

And ready.

It hissed, digging its black claws into Simon's arm, swinging its tail behind it.

Simon wasn't sure what to do.

Fear pulsed through his veins as he watched the Anoliko lizard creep closer and closer to his face. It hissed again, making Simon flinch, and stood still for a moment in a menacing stance.

'_What are you doing?_' A part of Simon yelled, '_Run!_'

Simon willed his legs to do so but found that they wouldn't move. He began to breathe more heavily as the creature crept one step closer.

'_Run!_' His mind told him for a second time, yet the signal didn't make it to his legs. He was petrified, and some survival instinct of his told him to stay still.

But that part of him was wrong. If he didn't move fast the lizard that was on his arm would soon attack and cause more damage than was thought possible.

"Simon!" Maleen's shrill cry drew his attention away from the creature on his arm. He turned to face her; she was running towards him with a frantic expression, "What are you doing?"

He was suddenly aware of what he was doing and found that his legs would move when he told them to. He stepped away from the rock in one swift movement and tried to shake the lizard off.

It didn't work though. The Anoliko lizard dug its claws in further – drawing blood and making Simon hiss through his teeth. He shook it even more but it did no good.

It only made it angry.

Maleen was still running towards him – so little time had passed – she was screaming something but Simon wasn't taking any notice of her.

He was concentrating on getting the lizard off his arm – it wasn't working.

His blood was running down his arm where the claws were digging deeper into his skin. Everything seemed to be going so fast, that it had been only a few minutes since Simon had first seen the lizard on his arm. He watched as the creature opened its jaws and clamp down on his flesh.

And then it seemed to slow down.

He didn't scream. He didn't make a sound, but Simon vaguely realised his knees felt weak and he was sliding down the rock towards the ground. He crouched there – leaning back against the rock – with the lizard still on his arm.

He didn't know it was there any more. Simon wasn't aware of much.

He wasn't aware of Maleen, now only a few steps away from him, with her hand on the hilt of her sword; preparing to strike. He wasn't aware of the rock behind him, or the grass underneath him.

He wasn't aware that the lizard was still clinging onto him with its teeth – slowly draining him of blood.

Grey spots began to swirl in front of Simon's eyes, he felt lightheaded and dizzy. He was looking at everything but wasn't seeing it. He could see what Maleen was doing, but thought nothing of it.

But he knew that something was wrong. Part of him knew that something about the situation wasn't right and that the pain in his arm should hurt a lot more than it did.

Simon felt numb.

He watched as Maleen swiped at the lizard, knocking it away from the both of them with her sword. She was defending them both from the first lizard, and the other one that seemed to have appeared form nowhere.

The two of them were coming towards her again – hissing and spitting with their long pink tongues. Simon saw that Maleen's face was filled with fear – but he thought nothing of it. All it was to him was a picture before his eyes.

He was numb and unaware of everything around him. He felt nothing as the blackness threatened to take him over.

He let it cover him.

He let himself drift away into it, feeling only numbness. He felt nothing. No fear. No anxiety. No nothing.

Maleen, on the other hand, was filled with all of those feelings.

Her heart was pumping loudly in her chest and ears – she could hardly hear anything over it. The lizards were still coming towards her – striking at her and whipping their long tails behind them.

Fear was inside her; all over her. She felt scared. Her hands were shaking as she held the long blade in front of her, trying to fend off the two Anoliko lizards. She flinched as one of them snapped at her again. Her heart continued to race furiously in her chest – a reminder that she was still alive.

Fido was cowering behind her – not helping her in the slightest. She had an urge to yell at him to help her, but decided not to turn her back on the two things in front of her. She had seen what they did to Simon. If she let that happen to her, neither of them would have a hope in surviving.

And then suddenly, a thought struck her.

A thought that made her think deeply about what she was doing – and bring an instinct to the surface that she never knew she had. She was suddenly ready. Prepared. She believed in herself and what she was doing – she could beat these things; they were tiny in comparison to her.

But that thought - the one that sent adrenaline surging through her veins – she couldn't understand why it had had such an effect.

All she had thought about was Jack.

Yet it still seemed to fill her with some kind of hope. Voices whispered in her head those dreams she had once had; the ones of finding him; Captain Jack Sparrow. She felt a sort of happiness grow inside her chest as the whispers grew louder and louder inside her head.

'_...imagine. Imagine what it would be like..._'

'_...can do it. He'd be proud of you..._'

'_...him proud. Show him what you can do..._'

'_...them. Nothing stopped him, why should you be any different...?_'

More and more of them began to say encouraging words to her, filling her head with hope and fearlessness. She wasn't just Maleen; a fourteen year-old girl that lived on the street, any more.

She was Maleen Sparrow. Daughter of one of the most powerful pirates in the Spanish Maine.

And she was ready for whatever threw itself at her.

The fear was no longer inside of her. It had vanished into thin air – as if it had never been inside of her at all. Her heart had slowed to a regular rhythm – beating slowing, steadily.

Her stance was firm – one foot a few paces in front of the other, for balance; both hands clutching her sword that was ready to swipe - as if willing the lizards to attack her that instant.

And that was exactly what they did.

The first one lunged; its teeth and claws bared ready to tear at flesh and draw blood. It hissed and spat as it flew through the air –

Only to be sliced in half by Maleen's steel blade.

Her teeth were clenched, she was breathing hard, but her heart was still pumping at its regular rhythm. Somehow she knew how to handle the sword – even though she had hardly touched one before in her life – it felt right as it balanced in her palm. She knew exactly where to swipe and what moves to make. The lizard touched nothing but the cool steel of the sword before falling to the ground in two halves.

Maleen didn't stop to look at the damage she had caused. As soon as the first Anoliko lizard had jumped, she had taken a swift step out of the way as the sword did all of the work for her. Then, making sure no valuable time was wasted, Maleen regained her original stance; ready for her next attacker.

The next lizard was a little more hesitant after witnessing what had happened to the first. It stayed where it was for a few moments, watching Maleen with its giant yellow eyes. It looked slightly intimidated for a second – but soon changed its mind.

It was cunning - more cunning than the first.

It circled Maleen; slowly closing in on her. Hissing and spitting at her, flicking its tail; it crept towards her.

"Don't think I won't do the same to you..." Maleen muttered, mostly to herself as she knew the reptile wouldn't understand her.

It threatened to jump at her a few times, and Maleen moved her sword instinctively to block the attack; only to get more and more annoyed when the Anoliko didn't carry his assault to the end.

"Stop wasting my time..." She said through gritted teeth, in an almost inaudible voice.

Her eyes glanced over at Simon, involuntarily. That was why she needed to hurry it up. His eyes were closed and he looked so weak. There was a crescent on his arm where the lizard had bitten him – it looked slightly purple around the edges; and swollen.

Maleen knew she couldn't keep her focus on him. If she was going to get out of this without ending up in the same state as him, she was going to have to ignore Simon completely until it was safe to tend to him and get him out of his condition.

But Maleen realised this one millisecond too late. Just as she turned her head back to the lizard, it pounced and flew through the air at her.

It had taken the only advantage she had given him and used it well against her.

It was heading for her throat.

At the very first second, Maleen panicked. She had no idea what to do and her survival instincts completely vanished. Her eyes went wide with fear and her mind began to picture visions of her being attacked by the lizard that was now only a few inches away from her skin. She braced herself, preparing for the stinging bite as it clenched its teeth around her...

And then swiped at it, just as it began to piece her flesh.

She managed to slice a leg of the creature and smiled in triumph as it lay on the ground, recovering.

The feeling had come back again. Joy filled every inch of her body; stretching from the tips of her fingers to the ends of her toes. She watched in contentment as the lizard shrank back into the bushes. Only then did she feel the pain in her arm.

The Anoliko lizard had managed to bite her only for an instant – not sucking out any blood like it had done with Simon – but it still stung. She guessed it was from the poison, but wasn't certain – her mother hadn't taught her about causes of things; she was only taught how to treat them.

As well as this, when she had sliced at the lizard, cutting off one of its limbs, she had managed to knick her skin at the same time. A long gash ran down her arm – dark red blood ran from it.

'_Great..._' She thought, studying the cut. It wasn't too deep, just long, '_I'll have to fix that later though..._'

Maleen looked back at Simon and went over to him with a quickened pace. His skin looked pale and pasty – she guessed he had a fever.

'_You need to clean out the bite quickly,_' a straight-thinking voice in Maleen's head told her, '_it looks like a venom bite and it could be fatal..._'

'_Better get to work then,_' she answered the voice, optimistically, knowing there really was no point in doing so.

But a small part of her was worried.

Worried that she couldn't work fast enough.

Worried of the consequences that might occur, if she was already too late.

An hour later Maleen had managed to light a fire, gather a few herbs for a homemade medicine, and washed Simon's wound with clean water from the stream.

She was still anxious about him though. Even though the swelling on the bite had gone down a bit and the purple colour around the wound was fading from the cleanliness of the water she had washed over it; Maleen still felt that Simon could be in serious danger. They needed to find out how to get off the island soon and Maleen was almost certain that she wouldn't be able to do it on her own – she needed Simon's help.

And if he turned sick – or worse – then that would delay their departure from the island.

And that would also increase the amount of time it took before Maleen could see her father once again.

'_I don't know why I'm still so set on this..._' Maleen thought, as she burned the end of one of the brightly coloured herbs. It wasn't the exact one she had been taught to use – but she reckoned it was close enough, '_I'm just so unsure about the whole thing. He's not been a father to me in the past eight years, but I still want to go and find him..._'

Maleen held the charred plant near Simon's nose so he inhaled the scent of it – if her mother's remedies had been right, then it should rouse him.

'_Maybe it's just because of what mother asked me to do,_' Maleen assumed, watching Simon stir a little in his unconscious state, '_if I don't think anything of Jack, then I'm only going after him because of what mother asked me to tell him..._'

Simon stirred again, as Maleen threw the rest of the herbs onto the flames before her. A wonderful spicy scent rose to her nostrils.

'_But why am I going all that way just to pass on one little message?_' Maleen asked herself as she sat on the ground and watched Simon stir for a third time – he had to be waking up soon, '_There has to be something more to it..._'

Maleen decided not to dwell on the thought. There were a few more important matters at the moment – like tending to her own wounds, as well as Simon's. But the main thing was to get him awake first – Maleen believed that the gel would work well enough on the wounds they both had, and if it didn't...well, Maleen thought she could remember a healing remedy – whether or not it worked was another matter though.

Luckily, Simon's eyes fluttered open and he turned his head to face her. Maleen had moved him so he was no longer leaning against the rock, but was lying down instead. She had been taught that it was one of the most comfortable positions for an unconscious person to be in – it put no strain on any part of them.

"Thirsty?" Maleen asked, smiling. Simon looked around him, confused.

"What happened?" He asked, ignoring her question entirely.

"You got bitten by one of those lizards," Maleen answered, "now, are you thirsty?"

"A bit," Simon still looked confused. He propped himself up on his elbow, and looked dazed for a moment as dizziness swept over him, "what happened to your arm?"

"Oh, that..." Maleen looked at her own arm. The blood had dried by now – the wound was healing up. The bite still stung though – she had washed it with the water, but Maleen still felt like a small fire was burning under her skin.

She had no need to ask for the little tin, though. Simon was already rooting in his pocket for it and unscrewing the lid.

"I think we'd better do yours first," Maleen suggested, when Simon handed it to her, "its a little more serious than mine."

"Does it matter? Just get some out of there and hand it back to me."

'_Bossy..._' Maleen thought as she scraped up some of the mixture on her index finger and rubbed it onto her arm. Simon did the same – sitting up properly now.

"You gave me a bit of a scare, you know," Maleen admitted sheepishly, "I didn't understand why you didn't do anything though."

"Me neither," Simon laughed, his annoyance gone, "I guess...I guess I was kindda scared."

He seemed to be struggling with admitting this. Maleen saw that he was uncomfortable at revealing his vulnerability. She decided not to press the matter any further and changed the subject to one she thought Simon would feel more comfortable with.

"Do you think you'll be well enough to walk soon?" She said, "I'd really like to get off this island soon, and we agreed that we needed to get to a higher point where we could see most of the place – check for villages and stuff - first. From what we've seen so far it doesn't look like there's going to be anyone else here, but it's worth a shot. If we're going to get away from this place, we're going to need some sort of transport – or tools, to make transport with."

"Well," Simon answered, smiling a little, "because you seem so keen on getting off this island – and I have to say, I don't blame you after what happened earlier – I think I'm fine. If we set off now and keep up the pace I think we could make it there by sunset – I don't think we need to go much further now."

He stood up but swayed slightly as the dizziness came rushing back to him.

"On second thoughts," He added as Maleen helped him keep his balance, "maybe I need a drink first...then we'll head off –definitely."

Maleen laughed as she watched Simon walked over to the stream, groggily.

'_I might need to keep an eye on him,_' She thought, '_in case his dizziness gets any worse..._'


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Waterfall

Maleen had no need to watch over Simon – he was completely fine. The dizziness was just a side effect from when he had been unconscious and soon passed after he had a drink from the stream.

"How's your arm?" She asked him, a few minutes after they had set off.

Simon laughed slightly and looked at the small bump where the bite had once been. It was a very pale colour now and most of the purple had gone. He was astonished by how quickly it had healed – that mixture really was quite magic.

"It's a lot better now, thank you," He replied gently, "where did you learn that spice thing you did? When you threw the herbs into the flame – I think I was awake when you did that."

"Yeah, that," Maleen looked back at him, then up ahead again, not really seeing the trees and plants around her, "my mother taught me a lot of things – one of them was treating wounds. Most of the things she taught me are done with herbs and spices, but some plants and leaves and roots can be used too."

"What else did she teach you?"

"General stuff really. Things that aren't really spectacular," Maleen answered, giving a weak smile, "cooking, cleaning, sewing – the whole lot."

"You're mother seems like a nice woman,"

"Oh, she is..." Maleen answered, realising that she was referring to her mother as if she were still alive, "but...what about your mother? What's she like?"

"We've already discussed my relationship with her," Simon replied in a flat tone. His voice held a hint of bitterness in it.

"Oh...sorry, I forgot about that," Maleen looked down at her feet, feeling embarrassed, "I wouldn't have brought it up if..."

"I know, I know. You forgot...I just don't like talking about her; that's all."

"Yeah...I know. I'm sorry." Maleen said again, "I just feel we're running low stuff to discuss, again. I was just asking because..."

"It's fine, honestly," Simon smiled at her, "Thank you for your concern, but I really am okay with it."

Maleen breathed a sigh of relief. She hated seeing Simon angry or upset. Even though Maleen hadn't known him too long, she found herself feeling sorry for him – as if he were a close friend. He had obviously been through a lot and hadn't had parents to help him through most of his life, unlike Maleen.

She had been given both - a loving father and a mother – and had enjoyed almost every moment she had spent with them. Even when Maleen was young, her mother had been telling her off, Jack would stand a step behind her and smile at Maleen; as if he was proud of what she had done. But Jack had never been good at enforcing discipline. He had just let Maleen grow up the way she wanted to – not telling her what to do or what not to do – he believed that she would learn from her own mistakes and Maleen loved him for his view on things. She could act however she wanted and he would never be critical of her.

But all that changed when Jack left.

With questions unanswered and a heart full of tears she was afraid to shed, Maleen went to her mother for support and reassurance on the situation.

Her mother gave her what she wanted – telling her everything would be fine, Jack would be home soon while holding her close – but she refused to answer any questions Maleen asked about her father's disappearance.

And no matter how much love and attention her mother gave her, Maleen still felt as if she were being kept in the dark; away from the truth. She knew that she could do nothing though – her mother didn't change her mind.

And that was when Maleen got her act together.

As she got older and more capable of things, Maleen's mother decided that Maleen was ready to learn how to look after herself. She taught her how to cook, clean and mend clothes and – due to the absence of her father – there were a lot of jobs to do. As Maleen grew she had to help her mother more and more; ending up with hardly any time to do the things she wanted to.

But the free time she did have, Maleen used wisely. She did the things she loved to do – the things she used to do before her mother told her she was old enough to work. She read and drew and went to the market and, of course, always went to the dock.

Just like when she was younger, Maleen would sit and wait for her father to return from his voyage. She never let that small part of her grow up and become older and more mature – when she was at the dock she was the six year-old she used to be.

But now it was eight years later and Maleen realised that it had all been a waste of time.

All those hours she had wasted sitting at the dock, watching the boats come and go, waiting for her father. They had all been wasted. And that was when she decided that if Jack wasn't going to come to her, Maleen would have to go to Jack.

She didn't know then that, on the way, she would become unsure about everything. That she would think differently of her father.

Maleen shook off the thought.

'_Not now,_' She told herself, '_just keep going. You can think it over later._'

Maleen took a few breaths whilst searching for a new subject to talk about. Her mind didn't have to wander long before a subject came to her – all it took was a glance over at Simon and his distant expression.

"What's Martina like?" She asked.

Simon glanced over at her. He looked as if he were about to ask something, but then changed his mind.

"Well, I think she's great," He answered quietly after a moment's hesitation, "she's kind, gentle – has a good sense of humour. I think she resembles a lily – it's her favourite flower; that was what put the idea into my head...yeah, I think you'd like her."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I think you'd get along. She was always good with children, and I think you are the same in some ways."

"Which ways?" Maleen asked, suddenly interested, "do we look alike?"

"No," Simon laughed, "you don't look anything alike. I just think you too have a similar personality. For example; she always goes for her dreams and knows exactly what she wants. She's creative and very easy to talk to – she could walk up to anyone, introduce herself and start chatting as if they were long lost friends."

"I think you were right – she does sound like someone I'd get along with," Maleen answered with a smile, but a part inside of her thought Simon was wrong.

'_You have no idea what you want.._.' A voice whispered in her head, '_Martina knows exactly what she wants – you don't...you can't even decide whether or not you want to find your father after eight years of wanting to see him..._'

"Maleen?" Simon's voice interrupted the one that was circling in her head and silenced it, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah...yes I'm fine," She answered, her voice was low and almost overwhelmed.

"Is it the same thing that made you concerned before?"

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier today you were very...distant," Simon explained, he seemed to be breaking it to her gently, struggling for the right words, "I knew something was worrying you, but you wouldn't talk about it. Is it the same thing as before?"

Maleen looked at Simon, straight in the eye. She felt as if she could see right into his soul – searching for the truth.

Was he really concerned? Or was he just routing for interesting conversation?

She didn't have to search for long before making a conclusion.

What Maleen saw in Simon's eyes was nothing but pure concern. He was worried – not so much that it was obvious, though. He seemed to be hiding it, still playing the tough-guy.

But he did care. Even if it was only a small part of him, he did care about Maleen.

So she decided to tell him.

"Alright," She said, her voice calm, but inside she was nervous. She wasn't sure how Simon would react, "this is going to sound so stupid and simple and you might even laugh at me because of it–"

"I won't laugh," He reassured her, "I promise."

"Ok," Maleen started off slowly again, but her voice gradually got quicker as her worries seemed to spill out of her like an overflowing cup, "My father left me when I was six and for the eight years he was away I never stopped believing that I would see him again. I waited for him every day at the same space where he sailed off from me – every day for eight years – and I never thought differently of him once. But then I meet you and you tell me these stories about pirates and Martina and changing and all of a sudden I'm scared. I don't know whether or not I want to go after him any more – to find him. What if he's changed into a baddie? Someone who's _bad_? I can't imagine him doing it but part of me believes that it could have happened. He could have changed a lot. He could have left me for a reason.

"And that's another thing," She added; the words were gushing out now, "why did he leave? He left no explanation for me – not even my mother could tell me where he'd gone or why. All I was told was that he got the P mark on his arm after he left and something happened between him and Cutler Beckett" – she spat the name as if it were a curse – "But why did he leave? And why didn't he bring me and mother with him? We never did anything to upset him – so why did he leave us to fend for ourselves?

"And what about me changing? What if he doesn't recognise me because I've changed so much? Then what will I do? How will he react when I see him? What if he's decided that he didn't _want_ me anymore?

"He told me he wouldn't be gone long. He said it was for the best – but _how_? How could it be the best? And why was he gone so long? Why didn't he come back to get me like he promised he would? I can only think of two reasons to explain it but neither seem like something he'd do. He either chose not to come back for me or he's..." Maleen felt like she was on the verge of tears but refused to let them fall. She chose a different approach to end her sentence, clenching her firsts so hard that her nails dug into her palms so she didn't cry, "Or the worst happened. And even though I try hard not to think of that – try really hard not to think that way – a small part of me still thinks that it could have happened. He could have been captured by the Royal Navy and been hanged. He could have been caught up in a sword fight, fallen over board – the possibilities are endless. And because of what you said about what happened to Martina...I'm just wondering whether or not he's _worth _finding. What you told me put a whole different perspective on things. I couldn't help whether or not that was him now – whether that was how he acted. He hasn't been much of a father to me in the past eight years but he's still my father, by blood. I just don't _know_ any more. I don't know what I want, or what I'm doing here. I don't even know why I'm still _on _this journey."

Maleen had stopped walking and tears were streaming down her face. She wasn't looking at Simon – she was staring at her feet.

"So now you know," Maleen said, her voice was quiet and detached.

She waited for Simon to say something – anything – but he didn't. She stood in silence, shaking in anger, frustration and sadness as she tried to hold back the tears that were still threatening to fall. She wiped away the ones that were already on her cheek, feeling childish and stupid.

When Simon still didn't say anything, she looked up. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression. His eyes were sad, but his jaw was tight – as if he were clenching his teeth in anger. Maleen felt her knees go weak and sat down, cross legged; Fido sat down beside her and nudged her hand with his nose. She stroked the top of his head, half-heartedly. She didn't care about anything anymore. If Simon thought badly of her, then so be it. She just didn't care. She couldn't make sense of anything.

In silence Simon walked over to her.

Maleen was looking at the ground as he approached, she a small leaf in her hands and was tearing it to pieces, shred by shred. Fido was lying next to her, his brown eyes sad. Maleen only looked up when his shadow appeared on the dirt in front of her.

He crouched, so they were pretty much face to face, and looked into her frightened blue eyes. They sparkled with glistening tears that could fall at any moment if Simon gave them a reason too.

But he didn't want her to cry.

Maleen looked at him, searching his eyes for some kind of clue as to what he might be thinking. She found nothing - he was covering up his feelings well; not giving anything away.

"It's alright," He said, finally, placing a hand on her shoulder for comfort, "I can understand why you're so confused about things. Eight years of wanting to be with him and one story that you hear changes everything for you but" – he lifted her chin so she was looking at him; her eyes dropped back to the ground – "that's just my view of things. One thing that he did made me think differently of him. We had a great night and then he used my fiancée as a hostage to save himself. I only think badly of him because he put Martina in potential danger. But you?" – He laughed – "Your relationship with him will probably not have changed. Yes, you probably look a lot different form when you were six years-old, and you have a reason to be angry with him; he didn't come back, like he promised. But that's no reason not to go and find him. He may be a pirate now, but he shouldn't have changed too much – you've been a pirate for...three days? And how much have you changed? I can tell you now; he's still your father and he will probably still love you the way he used to - and if you don't believe me, the only way to find out the truth about him is to find him and see for yourself."

Maleen looked at him for a long moment and eventually smiled as each word sank into her mind. Simon was right.

She had no proof that her father had turned into a blood-thirsty pirate. He could just still be the good old Jack Sparrow he used to be. And, as Simon had told her, the only way to find out the truth, was to see him for herself.

"Thank you," She said, smiling, "you're right."

"I am most of the time," Simon answered, with a cheeky grin, "glad I could help."

He patted her shoulder once then stood up again, coming out of the crouch he had been balancing himself in. Maleen stayed on the ground for a moment, before following Simon and carrying on with their journey.

For the first time, in what seemed like a very long while, Maleen felt secure again. She felt happy and certain of what she was going to do, and why.

She would find Captain Jack Sparrow and prove to herself that he was still the same loving father she had always remembered from her childhood.

But one thought struck her, out of the blue, that send curiosity surging through her mind.

She had no idea what brought the question to her notice, but it definitely made her wonder.

How could Simon have deserved those scars his mother gave him?

But he was already walking away, and Maleen had a feeling that now wasn't the right time to ask him about it.

No more than an hour later, the three travellers had nearly finished their great uphill journey.

Simon had said that they didn't need to go right to the top of the hill; all they needed to do was get high enough to get a good view of where they were.

And Maleen agreed with this. Her legs were aching from the steepness of the ground beneath her feet and her feet were sore and hot from being inside her boots. She took them off at one point to let her feet breathe, but trust them back on again after standing on a thorn.

"There should be a break in the trees up ahead," Simon said when Maleen began to moan, "Hear that roaring sound? I'm guessing it's a waterfall."

Maleen did hear the roaring sound, but hadn't thought much of it until now. Her ears had picked up the sound of it, but she hadn't taken it in.

She guessed that Simon was planning to go to the top of the waterfall, look across the landscape, see what there was and make a new plan from what he saw. Maleen thought it was a good plan – she just wished that she didn't have to walk any further.

"My feet ache, can't we stop for a bit?" She asked again. Her feet felt heavy as if she had a ton of stones in them.

"It's only a little further now; can't you hear it getting louder?"

"Yes, but I want to give my feet a rest – we haven't stopped since that lizard attack earlier – and it's going to be sunset in an hour or so; shouldn't we start to make camp?"

"Once we get to the falls, then we'll stop. But I thought you said you wanted to get up there before dark."

"I _did_, but I still want to rest – You might not be tired, but I am! I won't be _able_ to walk any further if you don't let me stop and sit down."

"Honestly, we're nearly there," Simon insisted, as he hacked away at vines and branches that were in his way. The river beside him was wider and deeper now – the water was flowing a lot faster and the roaring sound was getting louder. He almost had to shout the words at Maleen so she could hear them.

"But I want to sit _down_," Maleen moaned, dragging her feet for effect, "I can't go any further!"

Despite these words, she carried on walking, and Simon decided to just ignore her whining. She could whinge and moan all she wanted – Simon wasn't going to stop for her; not yet.

"Stop your bellyaching," was the last thing he muttered, before muting out her annoying whimpers.

Maleen realised she wasn't being listened to after a few seconds and decided to suffer, for a few more moments, in silence. She wasn't happy that they had to keep on walking, but guessed that it would be worth it in the end. The rest she desperately wanted would be well earned once they got to the top of that waterfall. At least she had something that would keep her motivated – to keep her going just that little bit longer.

But Simon hadn't been lying when he had said they were nearly there. He pushed back a few leaves and long blades of grass that were in the way to reveal the beautiful tumbling waters of the place he had promised her.

The waterfall.

All they had to do know was climb the steep slope to get to the top.

But it was high - _really_ high.

Maleen felt her jaw drop.

She knew the climb wouldn't take that long – fifteen minutes at the very most - but she could imagine the strain and effort it would take her to get up there.

Fifteen minutes of muscle screaming hell.

She had no idea how she was going to survive.

"You have _got _to be joking," She said to Simon as he strode on up ahead, "my legs are going to collapse on me!"

But Simon didn't even turn to look at her; he just started to walk – right up the slope – without a second glance. Maleen had a small feeling that he was smirking as he did so – finding it amusing that Maleen would have to whine even more.

'_No_,' She thought, stubbornly, '_I won't give him what he wants. If he's expecting me to complain, he's going to be very disappointed._'

Maleen only realised how difficult that promise was to keep when she began to climb.

Her already aching legs seemed to be burning as she forced them to move one in front of the other, up the slope. Her breathing was so raspy that she was sure anyone could have heard it a mile away – Simon even glanced over his shoulder to check she hadn't collapsed. Maleen felt her heart pounding against her ribcage with the strain and effort it took just to lift her foot and place it on the ground again, in front of her.

'_Keep going_,' She kept telling herself, '_just keep going a little longer..._'

'_I _can't,' She argued with herself, harshly, '_this is_ killing _me!_'

And that was the moment she felt her legs turn to rubber. Her knees began to shake from the weight of her own body and she felt when they buckled underneath her. She fell and kneeled on the ground for a few moments – just sitting there – and was surprised at how...pleased she was to be on the ground.

Her legs still seemed to be screaming at her, but it was more muffled now – not as concentrated. She lay down on the earth beside her and did nothing but feel the pain ease. She closed her eyes for a moment but opened them again when Fido began sniffing at her.

"What do you want?" She asked, before realising that Simon was stood not two feet behind him.

"Fall over again?" He asked.

"No, I told you I needed a rest," Maleen answered stubbornly, closing her eyes again, "Well; this is it – my rest."

"It's getting darker and I'm not going to wait for you," Simon answered, "I'll leave you here, no problem."

"Go ahead, see if I care."

Simon raised his eyebrows for a short moment, in disbelief, before shrugging and strolling away; just like he had promised her he would.

Maleen didn't believe he would have actually done it and was startled when she heard his footsteps begin to get further away. Her eyes flew open; revealing Fido lying opposite her, looking at her with his brown eyes.

"At least _you_ waited for me," Maleen muttered fussing the dog for a brief moment, whilst getting up. She didn't need Simon to walk with her anyway – Maleen had lived on her own since her mother died; she didn't need anyone's help.

But it was still a great comfort that her trusty companion had been loyal once again. Maleen felt a kind of happiness spread through her as she felt Fido's soft fur against her trouser leg, just above her boot. At least there was someone she could always count on to be there with her.

Maleen began to climb once again but her short break hadn't relaxed her legs for long enough. Soon the original pain was back and for some reason it seemed even greater than before. But, somehow, Maleen managed to pull herself through it. She managed to ignore the sweat on her brown and the pain in her legs just for those last few minutes – just until they reached the top of the slope.

And she felt proud of herself for doing it. She felt glory swell up inside of her – like a golden light of happiness.

'_I did it_,' She thought, relieved, '_we made it...Now I can relax._'

She looked at the scene before her – it was a beautiful landscape; even if there wasn't much in it. The river was fast flowing – _very_ fast flowing – and the only man-made thing it sight was a rickety bridge that went over the river. Maleen got the impression that, not only was the river fast, it was also very deep if it needed a bridge to cross it.

She found a small patch of grass and just lay down, looking at the darkening sky.

'_How beautiful_,' She thought smiling.

As Maleen collapsed by the side of the river Simon took in the view that was before him.

He could see for miles in front of him. The place where they had entered the forest seemed so far away now – Simon hadn't realised they had walked so far – he could see the path they had created until they found the river. He could see the rock from earlier today where he had been attacked by the lizards. He could just about see the charred ashes of the fire Maleen had made to cure the bite. And he could definitely make out the village that they had come across.

Simon remembered the carcasses they had seen and the link he had made with the rumours he'd heard. The rumours about the night-hunters. He had hardly believed himself when he had told Maleen about them, but when they found the village and the huts...it had put everything in to place.

They were true.

Simon just hoped that they wouldn't come back while they were there.

But, beside all of the creepy things that brought back bad memories, Simon could see something that made him smile – only slightly.

The horizon.

It was beautiful. The sun cast vibrant reds and oranges across the darkening sky and made the sea glisten on every wave. There was only a slight breeze that swept a few strands of hair across his face, and Simon felt...almost at peace. The sand of the small beach below was a lovely shade of pale gold – or was it white? Simon couldn't tell from the distance that was between them, but he imagined the golden sands glittering slightly, themselves – just like the sea, as it caught rays of sunlight.

So peaceful, so content – if only they knew what was about to happen. If only Simon knew that his happiness would soon be shattered just by one sound.

Rustling.

As soon as he heard it, Simon spun around to see where it had come from. Maleen was unaware of anything going on around her – she seemed quite happy just lying down where she was.

But Simon knew something was up.

"Maleen," He whispered, urgently, "Get up."

"What? Why?" She tilted her head so she was looking at him; her expression was slightly angry.

"I said; _get up_," He hissed, ignoring her questions completely, "Get over her _now_."

"I don't see what the big deal is. Nothing's going on. What are you even –?"

Simon shushed her.

He stayed absolutely still, breathing quietly; listening.

Nothing happened for a long time.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or not?" Maleen asked, "because if you're just joking around I will seriously –"

He shushed her again; listened.

Nothing.

"I swear I heard something," He muttered, mostly to himself.

"Maybe you're just imagining things," Maleen suggested, "that can happen with old age."

Simon turned to glare at her, before walking off, back to the edge of the waterfall. Maleen smiled, triumphantly.

'_Serves him right for not letting me rest earlier – and for interrupting me when I finally did get to sit down_,' She thought, '_I was only joking anyway – I'm sure he understands that._'

Simon did understand it, but he was more frustrated with himself for hearing something that wasn't actually to be heard...if that made any sense at all.

He looked at the water as it gushed over the sheer edge and dropped into the small pool below. He was amazed at how fast it went; but wasn't really paying attention to it.

How could he have misheard something? He was sure he heard some sort of rustling – like the branches of a tree, of a bush, perhaps – but when he had stopped to really listen, there had been nothing.

'_Maybe Maleen was right – maybe I am getting old_,' Simon thought, as he kicked a rock over the edge of the falls; he counted seven seconds before it finally splashed into the water below. It was a sheer drop.

'_But I'm only twenty eight,_' Simon argued, '_how can that be too old? I shouldn't be hearing things that aren't there at this age..._'

There was nothing more that Simon could do to persuade himself otherwise though. There were no other facts he could put forward – for or against – in his own little argument.

But that didn't matter.

Not in that split second that Simon's eyes glanced over at Maleen.

She was still lying there – on the grass, like before - still as content as anything, unaware of what was going on around her...

And that was the problem.

She was unaware of her surroundings...

And what was _in_ them.

It took only a second for Simon to realise what was going on and he didn't stop to think before launching himself towards her. He drew his sword just in time – slicing the lizard right down the middle, just as it was about to sink its teeth into Maleen's flesh.

Maleen opened her eyes, sat up and stared at the creature that was now before her. She was revolted by the sight of its insides, but looked up at Simon with gratitude in her eyes. She couldn't quite bring herself to speak.

"I...w-was that a...?" She couldn't finish her sentence. Everything had happened so quickly it was just a blur in her mind.

"A lizard? Yes," He looked down at her, "I knew I heard something."

Maleen smiled at him and he helped her up off the ground. Fido began to whimper and she began to fuss him behind the ear – trying to stop him from making any noise.

"Well, it's a good job there was only one of them," She said, not paying any more attention to Fido; just fussing him, "anymore and we might have been stuck."

Fido began to bark. It was like a yelp – almost a cry for help or attention – and Maleen had heard it before. He usually only cried like that when there was something he desperately wanted or they were in trouble.

And there was nothing in sight that Fido could want.

Maleen felt herself open her eyes larger as she realised what was happening. The colour drained from her face as she searched the area for what Fido was yelping at.

Simon was looking at her, more curious than worried.

"What are you doing?" He asked, "We already sorted it – there's no more."

"Yes there is," Maleen insisted, "Simon, there is more. And from the way Fido's acting I think it's more than one."

And she was right, of course. Fido was cowering behind her legs; hiding from what seemed to be the trees and bushes in front of them. Maleen seemed to feel her heart beat get quicker as she searched the bushes with her eyes; looking for any kind of life.

And that was when they appeared.

Hundreds of them.

Maleen felt herself gasp when she saw them - their purple scales shining in what was left of the sun's rays. The long tails flicked back and forth behind them. Their teeth and claws gleamed as they prepared them to fight. The vibrant yellow eyes glistened with uncontrollable hunger.

Maleen screamed.

She had no idea what had compelled her to do it – she had hardly ever screamed; even as a child – but her throat had seemed to create the sound without her permission and when she went to breath out the scream seemed to slip away instead.

Maleen was vaguely aware that Fido was no longer behind her. She turned briefly to look for him – still aware that if her attention was diverted for only a second she could put herself under serious risk of being attacked.

Simon knew there was no point in fighting. As soon as they attacked one of them, the rest would crowd around instantly and then there would be no hope.

But a plan was forming in Maleen's head as she saw what Fido was doing. He was running across the wooden bridge, across the water and into the trees.

And then Maleen realised.

She had her plan and knew exactly what she was going to do.

Their only hope was to follow Fido's example - cross the bridge and get to the other side.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Across the Bridge

Maleen knew they didn't have much time. With every step the lizards took they closed in on them more and more. There were loads of them now – Maleen and Simon were trapped from almost every angle. Even their escape route was getting cut off with every second that ticked by; wasted.

Only a few were blocking off the bridge though. If they jumped over them, it would be easy; all they would have to do was land directly on the bridge – as far in as they could muster – but Maleen didn't know how strong the posts were; the posts that held up the entire structure; keeping it from falling into the river and drifting away.

There was no time to explain the whole plan to Simon – or the doubts – so there was only one thing she could do.

"Simon, get to the bridge," She whispered, not taking her eyes off the creatures in front of her. When he didn't move she whispered again, "Get to the bridge – _now_."

"But –"

"Go!" She shoved him a little, but didn't watch as he landed on the unstable wooden planks. The posts jolted slightly under the sudden weight; pulling them out of the ground a little.

She waited until he had got far enough away from her – so there was enough room for her to make her landing. The lizards were closing in further and further and with each reptilian step they took Maleen became more and more frightened. She knew she couldn't use her sword – it would only cause them to attack – but she felt so vulnerable without it.

When she had fought them previously today there had only been two. She handled them easily; they were helpless on their own or when they were in small numbers. But now...now there was hundreds of them coming at her from all directions – there was no way she could hurt one without the others attacking her from behind. She would definitely get at least one bite if she chose to attack...

"Maleen!" Simon called to her from the other side of the bridge; she had been so focused on her strategies that she had completely forgotten about actually escaping, "come on!"

Maleen didn't need to be told twice. She glanced once at the lizards before preparing to leap over the few that were in her way.

But just as she pushed up, off the ground, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her leg.

'_Never turn your back on them_,' A voice whispered in her head, '_they take advantages of every opportunity..._'

But the voice was too late in giving her that advice. She had already turned her back on the majority of them and one of them had grasped at the chance.

Her leap was ruined slightly and she landed on her shoulder instead of her feet. More pain coursed through her body from the impact – fire seemed to be spreading through her veins.

She shrieked once in agony before ripping the lizard off her leg and throwing it over the edge of the bridge.

And that was a big mistake.

In Maleen's tired and aching state she tried to scramble up off the wooden boards that were beneath her, but her injured leg just wouldn't let her. The pain was too unbearable for her to walk on it at that moment. She couldn't cope.

Whilst holding onto one of the ropes that was above her, she tried to drag herself along. She became desperate – grabbing at anything that might help her get up and run; even if she knew that running was impossible for her now.

And whilst this was going on, the lizards were getting organised. No more had appeared on the scene, but it seemed like there were so many more coming at her at once. Maleen looked, in shock and fear, as the lizards increased their pace – they were getting so much closer. But it was more than that. Maleen had no idea how intelligent these creatures really were - she was about to find out.

In absolute agony and so full of fear she was almost petrified, Maleen began to scramble as quickly as she could towards the other side of the river – she wasn't even half way yet. She could see Simon wondering what to do – whether to put both of their lives on the line to save her, whether to throw her something to hang onto, whether to stand back and do nothing. She saw his confused expression – he was scared and anxious and full of love all at the same time. And that was when Maleen realised something.

'_He really _does_ care about me..._'

But the thought was lost almost instantly as another lizard bit down onto her.

The numbness was coming – she could feel it. There was nothing she could do to stop it, and it only made her more and more frightened.

And that was when she also realised how intelligent these creatures really were. They had worked it out. If they managed to kill her, they would win.

And they were gnawing away at the rope.

The rope that was tied to the posts.

The posts that held the entire structure where it was.

The realisation hit her like a wave. If they cut through those ropes, she would fall into the river; unable to hold on. And even if she did, somehow, manage to overcome the numbness that was taking over her, her weight and the rush of the waters would pull the other side of the bridge out of the ground - sending her down the waterfall and to her death.

Maleen realised what was happening. She was going to die.

But she couldn't give up – not yet. She had to make it. And, if she didn't, she had to at least make it out that she tried to save herself.

With hot tears streaming down her face, sobs breaking out of her throat and pain raging through her body, Maleen began to haul herself even harder. She clenched her fist around the rope above her and used all of her strength to stand. She managed only two steps before another lizard bit into the back of her leg; forcing her to crash to the ground.

Maleen gritted her teeth; trying to bite down on all of the pain that was surrounding her. She had to make it. She had to. She had to see her father just once - just one more time...just for one moment.

And that would never happen if she let these lizards win.

Another one clamped its jaws down in her wrist; tearing a vein and causing blood to rush to the surface of her skin. Maleen couldn't help but scream this time; the pain was so unbearable. She ripped the lizard off herself before placing the weak hand of hers on to the plank of wood in front of her and holding on for all she was worth.

She couldn't move any more. She could only hold on.

Hold on to the wood.

Hold on to her life.

Strands of hair stuck to her cheeks where her tears continued to roll down. The blood that was all around her – her own blood – seemed to be trickling from every bite she gained.

But Maleen didn't have the strength to rip off any of the other creatures.

She could only let the pain come over her; wash through her every vein. There was nothing she could do now. Nothing.

She had given up.

She couldn't win.

Another cord in the rope above her snapped and Maleen knew there were only a few more minutes before the lizards would cut through all the way.

Only a few more minutes before she could finally be at peace – away from all of the action, adventure, fear and worry. Away from everything that caused her pain - away from all the responsibility of herself...

But she couldn't give up just yet. She had to hold on for as long as possible and think about everything she would have done if she had managed to survive this one day...

And then she heard a voice. A voice that she recognised. It seemed so far away...so out of reach...

But she heard it. It was calling her. She heard her name over and over again.

"Maleen!" It yelled – a man's voice, definitly, "Maleen! Get up! Get _up_!"

Maleen didn't want to get up. She was happy with the world she was going into – it was peaceful and so free of pain. There was nothing that would hurt her there. She would be happy for the rest of eternity...

"Maleen!" The voice called again, and Maleen began to get a little annoyed with it; it was interrupting the tranquillity of everything around her, "Maleen! Come on! _Get up!_ You have to go and see your father! Do you remember? Maleen! _Please _get up!"

Her father.

Memories came rushing back to Maleen. Memories of a wonderful man who she used to play with – she used to star gaze with him, cuddle up next to him on stormy nights when she was scared, someone she always ran too when she was afraid or worried. She saw him in her mind – that face that she had always wanted to see. The face she wished she could see just once more – one more moment just to talk to him, like she used to.

And that would never happen if she didn't get up.

Maleen's eyes fluttered open and she looked around herself. The destruction and pain came rushing back and she saw all of the things that were causing it. But then she saw that man again – the one she now knew cared about her, the one who had called to her; asking her to get up so desperately.

And that was what she did.

Gritting her teeth and yelling in her agony, Maleen managed to haul herself up off the wooden planks that were beneath her. She felt the pain coarse through her every bone; making her shake slightly. But it didn't stop her.

She knew what she had to do.

She had to see her father, and the only way she could do that was by surviving this. She had to make it to Simon - the man that was standing opposite her – and that was exactly what she was doing with every shaky step she took.

The numbness that was around her – threatening to take her over – was pushed right to the back of her mind. She tried to force the pain away too, but it was no use. Maleen still had the agonising feeling of great discomfort, but she was trying her hardest to ignore it. She knew she had to make it across the river – and she had to leave the creatures behind.

Simon seemed to be getting closer – even though he wasn't the one that was moving. Maleen looked at his confused face that now seemed to be filled with some kind of hope. His eyes had lit up. He was holding out his arms to her; like he was teaching a toddler to walk.

Maleen never looked anywhere else. She never moved her eyes off Simon. She stared right into his face, looking for any encouragement she could find and kept the thought of her father planted in her mind.

'_I have to see him again,_' She kept thinking, '_just for a moment...just to talk to him..._'

Maleen could feel the sweat on the back of her neck and on her forehead, but she ignored it, along with the pain and the numbness and the dried tears that were on her cheeks – she pushed them all to the very back of her mind; ignoring as much of it as she possibly could.

She was nearly there – almost in reach of Simon's arms.

Maleen knew why he wasn't coming any closer to her. It was dangerous. The bridge was weak enough with just Maleen on it and there was quite a large possibility that if Simon stepped on as well, both of them might cause the already-worn rope to snap.

But Maleen didn't mind this. She knew that Simon had to see Martina so he could get married to her and live happily with her. She didn't blame him for not risking his life to save a girl like her.

Because at the moment she was saving herself. The lizards were still trying to attack her ankles and legs and the cuts they had already made were still streaming with blood. The one on her wrist was the worse, but Maleen forced herself not to look at any of them. If she saw how bad they were, there would be no way she could ignore it.

'_Nearly there_,' She thought, '_just a few more steps until I can reach his hand..._'

Her breath had turned into raspy gasps as she tried to get in enough oxygen. Her heart was pumping furiously as she tried to keep on going. The pain in her legs and the numbness she was trying to hold back seemed to be leaking away – becoming more of an issue.

And that was when the lizards managed to snap the rope.

Maleen felt the jolt as the wood beneath her as she fell into the water. She saw the strain it put on the posts that were now just a few steps out of reach.

But she was no longer on her feet. The vigorous jolt had sent her crashing to the floor – putting even more pressure onto the posts.

Maleen looked at Simon and his anxious expression that was filled with fear, only for her. She felt tears threatening to fall and didn't try to stop them – she was trying to hold in so much at that moment; tears didn't really matter.

"Grab my hand!" Simon yelled at her, "Maleen, please, grab it!"

Maleen was still clinging onto the planks of wood she had been walking on not two minutes before. She couldn't let go of the wood and grab hold of Simon in case he slipped and she went speeding down the river.

"Maleen! Trust me! Just grab hold of me, now!"

Maleen didn't move. She held onto the planks of wood as if they were the only thing in the world she could ever touch.

And then she heard the creaking.

Both of them looked to see the posts groaning under the force of the river's waters; being pulled out of the ground by the water alone.

"Maleen, just grab on!" Simon yelled at her, "It's the only chance you have!"

Everything was so chaotic around her. Maleen felt so confused. The few remaining lizards were still biting at her – yanking at her flesh and causing great gashes all over her – but she couldn't feel any pain. Almost her whole body was underwater – only her arms, shoulders and head remained dry. She was clinging desperately to the plank of wood instead of grasping at the only chance there may be for her to live.

"Grab it!" Simon said again, he was becoming more and more desperate with every second that ticked by.

Maleen just stared at the hand he held out to her.

"I said; grab it!" He repeated, his anxiety growing.

Maleen didn't think about what she was doing. She closed her eyes, held out a hand in front of her and let go of the wood completely. She felt the water gush around her as her head dipped under the surface for a brief moment.

The crashing and thrashing of the water around her was so confusing with her eyes shut – she had no idea where anything was.

But then the water was gone. The warm wetness that had surrounded her was no longer around. She felt strong arms under hers, as she was dragged backwards up the river bank.

Maleen let her eyes flutter open for a second time; trying to see what was happening around her.

The first glimpse she caught was of her compass.

And that sight filled her with sorrow.

It was numb sorrow; the numbness seemed to be coming closer and closer – threatening to cover her at the slightest hint of weakness. But Maleen held strong for those few extra minutes as she watched her beloved compass – the one her father had given her – disappear under the water.

The next thing she saw was Simon cutting the rope that was wrapped around the posts. She watched as the bridge drifted away and vanished over the edge of the waterfall.

Then Simon was looking down at her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his concern was so clear in his voice.

Maleen didn't answer his question. She felt so weak and her breathing was so raspy that she found it difficult to talk at all. Her voice was the faintest of whispers when she spoke.

"The compass..." She began, pausing to breathe in so she could carry on, "I...my father's compass...he gave it to me...and I dropped it...it's...it's in the river...I have to find it...he might be angry..."

"He won't be angry," Simon promised her, "He won't even be upset. I'm sure he'll just be glad that you're okay – even more than I am now. I know you're upset about it, but I'm sure we'll manage – I have my own compass, we won't get lost."

"But Jack..." Maleen murmured, her voice was thick.

"Jack will forgive you," Simon assured her, and noticed that her eyelids were slowly drooping, "we'll make camp and I'll make sure you're alright, okay?"

But Maleen wasn't paying attention to the words Simon was saying. Her eyes had closed, her breathing was heavy.

She was finally away from the pain and fear that had filled her.

She was peaceful.

The numbness had taken over.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

Camp

Maleen woke a few hours later.

Simon had managed to find a suitable spot to rest for the night. It wasn't much - but then again; there wasn't a lot he could do to make it a comfortable place to sleep. There wasn't much else other than plants and bushes in the forest – and, as Simon wasn't the creative type, he couldn't make a comfortable surrounding for Maleen in her unconscious state. He figured she would just have to make do with the solid ground beneath her – and she didn't complain when she woke up.

She didn't do much, really.

When Maleen finally opened her eyes it was dark. She took in her surroundings before moving an inch.

Her eyes flicked about, catching glimpses of the now-familiar undergrowth around her. There were no significant things that Maleen could recognise though. She could have been there before; but there was no way of her telling.

She looked over to the flame that lit the area – casting an orange glow over the leaves and petals that surround it – and slightly beyond it to see Fido - asleep and breathing heavily – and Simon.

He was sitting cross-legged and staring into the small camp fire he had made. Maleen could see the flames reflecting in his eyes; it would have caused a slightly sinister effect, if Simon hadn't looked so tired.

He didn't realise that Maleen had woken up. He seemed so transfixed with the flames that he was oblivious to anything around him.

Maleen watched him for a few moments; still not moving anything but her eyes. Simon looked deep in thought, and Maleen couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his mind. He looked...stern, maybe anxious.

And he was anxious – unknown to Maleen. Only slightly, because he knew that Maleen wasn't going to drop dead on him. Part of the colour had come back into her cheeks and - thanks to the tin that Simon kept on his person at all times – her wounds were healing faster than they normally would without treatment. Simon knew that she would still have scars though – some of the cuts had been quite deep – and the pain would linger for a while; deep cuts meant that the lizard's poisonous teeth had managed to damage her system badly. The venom that they produced had managed to bury itself in her veins; causing sharp, stabbing pains now and again. But, other than the occasional numbness and feeling of discomfort, Maleen should be fine.

Maleen lay still for a few more moments, wondering what had happened earlier that day. Everything had been so chaotic. She remembered Simon being attacked; and everything ending very quickly and then...

Then there had been something else. Something important...

They had finally made it to the top of the waterfall – she remembered that – and her feet had hurt. And then...

Maleen sat up, wincing at the pain that appeared from nowhere. She was stiff and found a few of her joints were sore. She stretched her arms out in front of her; then realised it was a bad idea.

"Finally woken up, have you?" Simon smiled at her, bringing his gaze away from the orange and red flames, "what do you remember?"

Maleen thought for a moment.

"Not much, really," She answered, honestly, thinking hard, "it's all a blur..."

"Well, that's normal, I think," He answered.

"Pain..." Maleen answered, unaware that Simon had even spoke. She was staring at the fire before her; seeming to be talking to herself – trying to make herself believe that what she remembered was real, "there was so much pain...and...yelling - someone was calling my name...and then...then there was numbness. I couldn't control it. It was so _powerful_..."

Her voice drifted away as the scene replayed in her mind. Everything was so chaotic. So much was happening at once – it was all so quick, even though it felt like a long time.

And then Maleen remembered the most important thing.

The compass.

"Oh god..." Maleen whispered, her voice getting louder with every word she spoke, "the compass – I have to find it."

She tried to stand up but was taken over by a very strong sweep of dizziness that sent her falling to the ground again. She landed safely; feeling no more pain than was already pulsing through her.

"You're not going anywhere until you're feeling fit enough," Simon assured her, sternly; as if he were talking to a stubborn child.

"I _am_ fit enough. I _have_ to get that compass back! My _father_ gave it to me," Maleen tried to stand again, but Simon planted a firm grip on her wrist before she could move.

"Maleen, I'm sure Jack will forgive you for losing it. It was a mistake. As I told you earlier tonight – I'm sure he'll be more relieved that you're alive."

"But –"

"No, Maleen," Simon was looking right at her, the grip on her wrist tightening slightly, "you can't risk yourself getting close to death again for a compass – especially not in the state you're in."

"I'm not in any state," Maleen insisted, but Simon was talking over her.

"It wasn't any kind of special compass – the only value it had was sentimental. You still have your necklace, don't you? Do you really need the compass as well?"

"No, I guess not," Maleen said quickly. But then a thought hit her.

Her letter.

It was still tucked under the fabric of her sleeve from when she had hidden it from the guards at Port Royal. She remembered every word on it from reading it so often, but Maleen needed it as a small memory of her mother. After all; it did have her handwriting on it and Maleen wouldn't be able to just write it out again – it wasn't the same.

She pulled it out of her sleeve and Simon watched her unfold the wet parchment. It had been underwater at least twice – and Maleen hadn't given it a second thought until now.

As she unfolded it her heart was pounding furiously. She could just see pictures in her mind of a blank piece of paper with no trace of ink on it at all. She could see it ripping in her own hands as she tried to unfold it...

But that didn't happen.

Maleen was extra careful as she peeled one part of the paper away from another. She felt her eyes begin to fill with tears as she did it but used most of her self-control to hold them back.

Biting her lip and holding her breath, Maleen looked at the parchment before her – a piece so precious to her that she had treasured it every moment since the moment she had found it.

Because those words were the only proof that her mother had existed.

Those words were the ones that had caused questions to appear in her mind – that had made her even more focused on finding her father.

And they were all there.

Maleen couldn't help the relief and happiness that welled up inside of her.

They were there - every single one of them.

The ink had run slightly – making the words a little hard to read at first glance – but it was definitely recognisable as her mother's handwriting. The parchment was still ripped on one corner from where she had gotten it out of her pocket hastily a few years ago but other than that and the dampness of it there was no damage done at all.

She still had it.

Maleen couldn't help but smile. She let out a sigh of relief.

"What is that?" Simon asked, peering over her shoulder; Maleen wasn't even aware that he had moved.

"None of your business, that's what," Maleen said; it came out a little harsher than she had intended. She watched Simon's curiosity fade and he looked slightly guilty.

Maleen felt her heart go out to him.

He had only been curious – and Maleen was curious about everything all of the time. She hadn't meant to snap at him; but, of course, Simon didn't know that.

"It's a letter," Maleen answered softly, looking down at it, in her hands, "my mother wrote it. She was the one who told me to go looking for my father. She said to find him and to never let him get away again."

"Well...I think you're mother is a very smart woman," Simon said, smiling faintly, "much better than mine was."

'_Why did she give you those scars?_' Maleen wanted to ask, '_And why do you believe you deserved them?_'

But Maleen knew she couldn't ask him. She had brought his mother up in conversation before and it hadn't ended well. But Maleen was so inquisitive. A part of her just had to know...

"I know what you're thinking about," Simon said, "and I can tell you, if you want – what happened."

"Why your mother gave them to you?"

"Sort of – she didn't know, I don't think. But that evening she was angry with me," Simon looked up at Maleen, "part of me thought she knew what I'd done."

"Was it really that bad?"

He laughed, "Yes. It should have made me a criminal. But that night was when I decided to run away. I decided that I'd had enough of my mother hurting me and I couldn't cope with my life in shambles – I wanted to start again, from scratch."

Simon's voice when slightly sinister as he went on – Maleen could feel the passionate anger that was hidden deep inside of him. She could feel his rage and irritation bubbling away and just waiting to lash out at anything in reach – whether it had been from back then or at that moment she didn't know; but decided to keep her distance just in case.

"I didn't know that morning that I would do something – something terrible – that would decide my future," Simon went on, " I had a normal morning, like I usually did – well, mostly. The only thing that changed was I met someone."

"How old were you?"

"A little younger than you are now," Simon answered, "She was beautiful – really different from the rest of the girls. I fell for her straight away."

"Martina?"

"No," His voice was low and serious, "and I'm glad it wasn't, as well."

Maleen didn't know what these words meant, but she didn't like the sound of them. Something bad was going to happen – she could feel it.

"She followed me around for the morning, when I was out. I kept glancing at her – trying to guess why she was following me – and she always smiled back. It was strange, but in a nice way. She really was beautiful; but neither of us managed to get up the courage to talk to one another.

"It was late when it happened. I was out of the house again – trying to stay away until my mother fell asleep, to avoid running into her – and just wandering the streets like I usually did. I didn't realise..." Simon took a deep breath before carrying on, "I didn't realise she was still following me. I knew she liked me, though. There was that look in her eyes – like admiration – and I loved it. I loved everything about her..."

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Simon, you don't have to tell me if –"

"I didn't realise she was following me," He said, as if Maleen hadn't said a word, "I didn't _know_. If I did I wouldn't have followed the noise – the noise down the alley – I would never have led her down there if I'd _known_."

He looked up at Maleen again, right into her eyes as if willing her to understand and forgive him for what he'd done – even though Maleen had no idea what it was at that moment. She felt sorry for Simon; deeply sorry. She could tell how much it pained him to say this out loud.

"The noise ended up coming from two thugs. They had stolen this man's money and were beating him up – just for the fun of it. I don't know what happened, really I just...I got _angry_," Simon had so much pain in his eyes – not physical pain but what seemed like mental torture from all of the regret that had built up inside of him, "I don't know why, but suddenly I was so..._infuriated_ by it all. I just...I don't know. But after that I...I fought them.

"I don't know how I did it – I really don't – but all of a sudden one of them was unconscious and I had his sword. I was so...trusting with my own instinct and so filled with anger that I just...I just fought.

"I knew exactly what I was doing, even though I'd hardly handled a sword in my life. I knew all the moves I had to make and all the steps I had to do in order to dodge his swipes at me. But then...then he sort of disappeared into the shadows. I could still hear him taunting me, but I had no idea where he was. I was still so ready, though, and he was only winding me up more and more with every time he called me a name. I just...I wanted to kill him – I _really_ wanted to kill him – and I flinched at any sound; getting ready to swipe him as soon as I knew it was him..."

He looked down again and Maleen knew it was because he was afraid to show his face. He wasn't crying – Simon wouldn't do that – but she could tell that he looked guilty and didn't want to be seen when he said the final ending words to his story – the part where his life changed forever. The part where he persuaded himself to run away from it all – everything – and start a whole new life; all because of one little incident that he caused.

"And then I heard that crunch behind me – that little crunch of foot-on-stone. I was still in that mode - that fighting mode – but I considered, for a moment, that it could just be another regular citizen coming to check on what the noise was about. So I didn't turn straight away – I still had a feeling that the robber was in front of me – but then she touched my shoulder..."

Maleen realised the way Simon said it – or, rather, what he had said.

'She' – not 'he'. It wasn't the thug that was behind him. It had been a girl; and Maleen had a feeling that she knew what was coming – even though she still wanted to hear Simon say it – she couldn't quite believe that it was true.

"I didn't know who it was," Simon explained, "but it was a reflex. In the mood I was in I couldn't help it – she touched my shoulder, probably trying to get my attention; maybe about to tell me to stop – but it was too late when I realised. I spun round and without thinking..."

He looked up again; that fierce look in his eyes was still there. He was filled with anger, regret and guilt and Maleen could tell - it was so clear on his face.

"I didn't mean to do it," Simon insisted, his voice was quiet – a whisper, "I didn't _mean_ to...I never would have done it on purpose. But I didn't know she had been following me."

"I know. I understand."

"No, you don't," He didn't say it forcefully. Simon was still speaking in that hushed tone; gentle and sad, "you won't be able to know what I'm going through unless you do it yourself. I really liked her – even if we hadn't spoken at all. And when I realised it was her, it was too late – I'd already done it."

"You killed her," Maleen said after a long pause. It wasn't a question – she was just saying it to get it out in the open for Simon. He hadn't been able to say it himself yet and Maleen figured he might need a little encouragement. But, as she said it, she made it very clear that she wasn't at all angry with Simon for what he did. She understood it was an accident and that Simon was very sorry for what he had done.

"Yes," He admitted, his face stern, his eyes still holding that sadness, "I killed her...I had no idea what to do at the time – I didn't know whether saving her was possible or not – so, for a few seconds after I'd done it we just...stared at each other in shock. It was a kick in the teeth to see her there – and that was when I realised that I was the one who had done it. I let go of the sword immediately and she sank to the ground...I could do nothing to help her. I just...held her.

"She seemed grateful for it. She even smiled when I said I was sorry. I told her over and over, but she hardly said anything in return. She asked what my name was and told me hers..."

"What was it?"

"Iliana," He answered, after a brief moment.

"That's beautiful," Maleen whispered, forcing a small smile – it was hard to be cheerful when Simon looked so sad. She noticed that they were both talking very quietly.

"It was – I told her that – and then..." Simon sighed, "She died in my arms."

"And you ran away after that?" Maleen asked.

"No, not straight away," He answered, "I didn't know what to do at first – I was so confused – but I ended up going home where my mother was waiting for me. She told me she was worried" – He laughed once without humour – "and said that I shouldn't do that to her again. I told her that I'd do what I wanted to; so she decided to teach me a lesson."

Simon didn't explain what he meant by that but, seeing Maleen's slightly confused expression, he rolled up the left sleeve on his shirt, right to the top, revealing his shoulder.

Maleen gasped at what she saw – not a big gasp, but a short intake of breath in shock.

She knew what Simon was about to show her, but was still shocked by the white lines that covered the top of his arm.

There were loads of them. Lots of tiny scratches – most of them were joining others. It took her a few minutes to realise that the faint white marks spelt out words.

"What does it say?" She asked, looking into Simon's eyes with the deepest of concern - that was when she realised he had been watching her.

"'I have learnt my lesson'" He quoted, running a finger over the words as he said them.

"But there's only two words here," Maleen pointed out, "'I have'"

"The rest are on my back and other arm," Simon explained, pulling the sleeve back down, "In case you haven't guessed already; it hurt."

"Yeah, I did guess," Maleen whispered, looking at Simon intently - she still couldn't believe what she had just seen.

There was a long pause while the two of them waited for the other to speak. Simon didn't look at Maleen – he was looking intently into the fire; seeing the scene repeat before his eyes, no doubt – but Maleen looked at him. She still couldn't believe what Simon had to live with now. He didn't deserve the guilt of doing something like that; he seemed such a nice man, and Maleen was almost certain that he was.

"We'd better get some sleep – especially you," Simon pointed out, changing the subject completely – taking his mind off that distant memory of his, no doubt, "I want to get off this island as soon as possible after what happened earlier this evening – it's not safe here."

"But, how will we get away?" Maleen asked, "The ship was splintered into a million pieces and you saw when we arrived that there are none we can steal."

"We'll talk about that in the morning," He said briskly, with his back to her closing the conversation, "goodnight."

"'Night, Simon," Maleen whispered, looking at the back of him as he lay down to sleep, "and...I'm sure she forgives you – Iliana."

Simon just nodded briefly, dismissing the subject.

She lay down on the opposite side of the fire to him and stared into the flames. As she drifted off to sleep a vision came to her – one she recognised from somewhere before...


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

Vision

Maleen knew she was dreaming. She had no idea how she knew, but she did. She was certain it was a dream.

Although...

The setting did seem real to her - in a way. Everything around her looked like it really could be happening – like she actually _was_ there.

And, even though she _knew_ it was a dream, it felt real – _really_ real. Like reality instead of just a delusion.

Everything – absolutely everything – that was around her felt like it could actually be there.

Was it a dream?

Maleen wondered about it for a moment or two - putting together what few facts she knew about the place she was in - but soon realised that she had been right to begin with; she had to be.

Maleen had no memory of how she had gotten to where she was – and she would have remembered if it had been real. She would have remembered what had happened to Simon – and when she had seen _him_ again.

All of a sudden she let her subconscious take over and Maleen seemed to be a part of the scene now – as if it were happening right at that moment rather than just something she was witnessing.

She felt the fear and the pain and the weakness, all in one rush. It all came flooding into her so fast that Maleen nearly woke up.

But she didn't.

Instead, she stirred in her sleep; as she was in that dream; her eyes flickering about under her eyelids. Her muscles twitched very slightly, trying to find something she could hold onto for comfort.

For some reason – that Maleen knew from the very beginning - the scene around her had captured her attention. She didn't want to wake up – even if there was pain pulsing through her and she felt unbearably weak – she had to find out how she had gotten here; in this dream.

Finally everything around her was real – moving, rather than just a picture – like it should be, and Maleen was aware of the whole thing.

She now understood that she was on a ship – quite a large ship, at that – and there was a fight going on. Maybe even a war...Men were fighting all around her – fighting...things. Things that Maleen could hardly imagine – things she found hard to describe at the shock of seeing them.

A slight fog seemed to cast itself all around the vessel – obscuring anything in the distance. Rain was pattering down onto the wooden deck beneath her.

But Maleen wasn't concentrating on any of that, though. She was concentrating on the face of one man in particular. A man she had seen so many times before in her life – someone she treasured.

Her father.

And that was how she knew it was a dream. Maleen knew she would have remembered how she had seen her father – she _knew_ she would – and the thing was; she didn't.

'_So, it's a dream_,' She concluded; but she still couldn't help but wonder why her father looked the way he did.

He looked...different – maybe even scared – which wasn't right for a man like him. He had never once been scared when Maleen remembered him – why was he frightened in this vision of hers?

Jack seemed to be fighting and looking at her at the same time – she was amazed at his talent of multitasking – but, he was concentrating more on her.

'_What are you doing?_' Maleen couldn't help but think, '_you're risking your life - I'm fine!_'

But her father continued to glance at her every few seconds. And every time he did, his eyes seemed to become fiercer; darker. Some kind of pure hatred building up inside of him

'_He's getting angry,_' Maleen discovered, '_but...why?_'

And then she felt a sharp pain in her throat – a burning, stabbing pain - causing her to scream louder than she had ever done before. The pain was...unbearable - so excruciating – like someone was stabbing her with two sharp blades; at the same time.

It seemed to go on for so long – that horrible throbbing. But it finally did lessen. Maleen felt herself go limp; unable to move when she so desperately wanted to. She had to see her father's face – she had to know what he was doing; whether he was still angry.

But she wasn't given a chance.

Her eyes closed involuntarily; causing only blackness – a terrifying blackness that she couldn't understand.

And then coldness.

She was so cold. So frightfully cold. She felt her clothes grip onto her and her hair wrap around her in any way it wanted to.

'_I'm in water,_' Maleen realised, in panic, '_but...why aren't I doing anything?_'

Yet, she still didn't move. No matter how strongly Maleen willed her dream-self to stir - to swim and save herself – she didn't. She _couldn't _– she _physically_ couldn't.

But then the darkness vanished and it was replaced with a blurry vision. A vision of her father leaning over the side of the boat she had been on. He did nothing but look at her – and then vanished.

And then everything went black again and Maleen was overcome by a feeling of dread and panic.

There was nothing but the blackness.

It was everywhere.

And it scared her.

Maleen woke up.

She sat up urgently, gasping for air and some kind of sanity as she tried to hold onto the dream that was already fading away.

Something about...a ship? And...rain?

Other than that, she couldn't remember much – except from fear.

She remembered it being terrifying – whatever it was she had dreamt about. She remembered some kind of pain as well; something had hurt...a lot. And there's been blackness – so much blackness. It had been scary...but she couldn't think why...

"Everything alright?" Simon asked; startling Maleen further.

"Yeah, just..." She tried to remember exactly what it had been, "...just a bad dream."

Simon smiled, "had my fair share of those," he said, before taking a bite of some fruit – the same fruit they had eaten before.

It seemed that was all they were living on whilst on this island. But both Simon and Maleen had agreed they wouldn't risk eating anything else. Luckily, Simon had tasted these fruits before and had had no previous side effects – the other vibrant coloured crops they had found as well were best avoided in case they held something inside them that wouldn't be good for either of them if it was eaten.

"So, you ready to go?" Simon asked; he seemed nervous about something, "I was planning on getting down to the beach today – if you're up to it, that is."

"Uh, yeah...I guess," Maleen answered, uncertainly, "what's the rush?"

He paused ever so slightly – but long enough for Maleen to notice his small hesitation; "After what happened yesterday, do I really need to explain?" He finally said.

"No, guess not," She smiled, "Best not waste any time then – let's get a move on before those _things_ try to attack us again."

She glanced down at the tear in her trousers and looked worriedly at the marks the lizard-creatures had left on her. They didn't look as bad as she had expected them too, but they still didn't look pretty.

Maleen jumped up but wobbled slightly for a moment as dizziness hit her like a rock.

'_Steady_,' A voice in her mind told her, '_you still haven't quite gotten over that event from last night – just take it easy._'

Weirdly, Simon repeated the words that had just sounded in her mind, out loud.

"Yeah, I know," She said, pushing his hand away gently; however grateful she was of the sudden support – she didn't need it, "I will. But I do agree with you – I don't want another show down with those lizards; I doubt I'd be able to battle it out this time."

"You barely did last time," Simon murmured as he made sure the fire was out properly – it was.

Maleen looked at him for a moment – remembering what she had learned the previous night. She still couldn't quite believe what had happened.

And she still didn't believe that Simon deserved the guilt of having killed someone – especially someone he could have loved.

Iliana - that had been her name. Maleen thought it sounded beautiful – it reminded her of a flower; delicate and pretty. She wondered what Simon thought of it.

"I'd like to stop off at that village again," He said, "if you don't mind."

Maleen pulled a face, "Why? Do we have to?"

"We do if you want a better chance of getting away from this place," Simon answered; a little harsher than need be.

"How will going back to a creepy village make our chances better?" Maleen asked, "What are you doing to do? Pray to their Gods?"

"No," He said, slightly annoyed with the assumption, "I was thinking that, if they did live here, they might have some means of transport – something that we would need to _have_ in order to sail into open waters."

Maleen huffed. "S'pose so." She finally admitted, stubbornly.

He didn't say much after that; leaving Maleen to wander her mind – thinking of nothing in particular...

To begin with.

After wondering about irrelevant subjects that just happened to be passing through Maleen's mind, a sudden wash of guilt washed over her.

To start she had no idea where it had come from. It was just a wave of shame that seemed to rip right through her – but only for a split second.

After that split second her conscious realised exactly what it was she had remembered.

The compass.

Simon had reassured her that everything would be alright and that her father wouldn't care about the compass at all – but Maleen wasn't so sure.

She didn't trust Simon to know her father well; he and Jack had only talked on a minor of occasions and Simon wouldn't have had the chance to get to know him well and anticipate his actions.

Yet, Maleen wasn't as certain that she knew him better than Simon did.

Simon had seen him recently – well, more recently than Maleen had – and he had told her about how different Jack had acted. Now his life was on the line for being a pirate, it seemed that his only real priority was to stay alive as long as possible.

He had always wanted that though. Even when Maleen had been young, Jack had always said it would be brilliant to never be afraid of dying – to live forever without aging, without pain. It would be so wonderful. There would be so much time for adventure and exploring places no one had ever been before.

Jack had always said he would find a way to live forever. Maleen used to smile at him for dreaming such impossible things – not laugh, but feel amazed at how set he was on finding a way to do what he wanted. He had always been amazing though; to Maleen he had known everything. But everyone knew that there was no way you could live forever.

Maleen looked down at her belt where the compass used to swing with every step she took; banging against her thigh. Somehow she missed that familiar annoying thump; it was almost part of her now that she had had it for so long. She felt somewhat odd without it – and guilty at the same time.

It wasn't because it had supposed to hold some magic power in it – making it point to whatever it is you want most in the world. It wasn't because she could navigate with it, if she needed to.

The only reason that she missed it so much was because her father was the one who had given it to her.

If it had been off anyone else – anyone else in the world; a king, a beautiful woman, or even Simon – Maleen would never have felt so attached to it. It would mean hardly anything to her if she bought it from a stranger, or if she just found it lying somewhere, unwanted.

As Simon had said; it's only real value had been sentimental.

It had only been valuable to Maleen.

But the thing was she didn't _care_.

She knew it was worthless – except for a slight wavering of her thoughts when Simon had mentioned its 'power' – but she didn't care. That compass had belonged to her father; it had been a gift from him.

And that was why she felt guilty.

Her father had given it to her for a reason – what that reason was, and how important it had been, she didn't know. It could have just been to show that he loved her being his daughter, it could have been just because he could do it. There was a possibility that he knew he was going on a journey that she couldn't come on and wanted her to follow after him when she was old enough.

But, whatever it was, there was a reason.

And Maleen had lost any hope in finding out what it might be – unless, that is, she managed to find her father and ask him herself even if there really would be no point to it.

Because if she found him – or, more optimistically; _when_ she found him – there would be nothing more to do. Maleen would finally be able to relax and not worry so much about when to get food, or when to hide from the Royal Navy officers. She would have her father to help with all of those things. She could finally have someone's shoulder to rest on. Someone who she could trust fully. Someone to rely on.

Because she knew she could trust Jack - no matter what anyone else said. He was her father and there would be no reason why he would betray her – he just wouldn't.

And, somehow, Maleen was certain of it.

She didn't need facts, she didn't need stories.

Maleen knew it.

And so, with only the slightest bit of guilt still resting on her shoulders, Maleen walked down the slope. The long trek back down to the beach had begun – what a waste of time the whole journey had been.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14  
**Mother

****"Not a waste of time," Simon insisted, when Maleen expressed her thoughts out loud, "we got something from it didn't we?"

"Yeah, I guess," Maleen answered sarcastically, with a hint of bitterness, "slight dizziness and a headache – not to mention the load of scars on the back of my legs!"

"I was thinking more along the lines of an adventure or...an experience," He said; glancing down at her with a wry smile, "but yes; I guess we did earn a few scars as well."

Maleen laughed once, "You can say that again." She muttered.

Simon smiled wider, but didn't say anything.

"That reminds me, how are you feeling after yesterday?" Maleen asked, "I know it seems a really long time ago now but..."

"It doesn't seem to long ago for me," He answered, "It was just a chaotic day, that's all - I've had then many a time before."

"Hmm," Maleen smiled, "I've had a few; but nothing like yesterday."

"Yeah," Simon's voice had gone quieter; almost a mutter, "it was pretty frenzied."

"Hey, you didn't answer my question," Maleen remembered, "how are you feeling?"

"I think I've fully recovered," He said, "just a faint scar where it bit me. I think that stuff I have helped quite a bit."

"Yeah, I have to agree with you there," Maleen said, glancing down at the back of her leg where her trousers had ripped slightly from when the lizards had bitten her. She could just about see the marks under the material. They didn't look as good as Simon's, but they were more recent and had been much deeper – so she wasn't really surprised. Although, however much she wanted to recover and be back to her old self again, Maleen had a small desire for the scars to stay. A little part of her wanted to keep them almost as a memory – to remind herself of what had happened; however strange that sounded.

'_But_,' she thought, '_why_ _would I want to remember such a terrible thing? I almost died and lost the box my father gave me – and that's not something many others would feel the need to cherish – it's not really the cheeriest memory of all._'

It puzzled her for a moment. She thought about other reasons for why it might be possible but, for a while, couldn't think of any. That is, until, the already familiar thought travelled back through her mind.

Almost everything she seemed to do was connected to it – that little thought. That one brain wave was so familiar to her now – after the amount of times it had come back to her in the last few days – that Maleen felt she knew it was coming now.

She wondered why she hadn't thought of it sooner.

There was more than a slight possibility that Maleen wanted to keep it for...evidence. Something to show everyone who asked about her story – where she had been, why she had gone there and what had happened. Those scars were almost proof that she was telling the truth – little marks that engraved a certain time into her; a certain moment.

And, of course, there was that little thought that had made her realise all this.

Just one name. A name she had treasured.

"Jack Sparrow," Simon began, "was he a good father?"

Maleen was amazed at how he had been on a similar wave length to her, but tried her hardest not to show it. It took her a few moments to recover from the amazement; but an uncertain glance from Simon made her concentrate again.

"Yeah, he was terrific," Maleen smiled, "great, amazing – whatever you want to call it."

"No," Simon looked thoughtful for a moment, "I should have phrased it better. I meant; was he good at parenting? Teaching discipline and manners, responsibility, et cetera?"

"Err...not really," Maleen admitted; but not shamefully, "he believed that I should be left to do what I wanted. He just sort of...stood back and watched – preparing to stop me before I crossed the line, you know?"

"So no discipline?"

"Nope," She answered, "hardly any."

"Responsibility?" Simon asked.

"Well, I guess I was taught a little bit about looking after myself – but never really anything or anyone else. Jack was...different from the other father's in the town."

"How?"

"He was a lot more relaxed with parenting; more laid back than the others."

"Did he teach you manners?"

"Mother taught me those," Maleen smiled, "a waste of time really if you hardly speak to anyone." - She saw Simon's confused expression – "they stayed away from me, you see. I wasn't like the other kids – I stopped wearing dresses after..." Maleen paused, wondering whether to tell Simon about her mother's death or not. She decided that now wasn't the right time.

"After?"

"After my father left," She continued with a small smile; hoping that her small bluff hadn't been noticed, "hardly anyone approved of it. They believed that all women had to be 'properly dressed' – but I took no notice of them. My father wouldn't have minded; I can tell you that for certain."

"I was going to ask why you weren't wearing skirts," Simon said, "I don't think I've come across many women wearing anything like that" – he gestured to Maleen's attire – "I guess they believe the same thing most others do."

"Well, I think it's too _common_," She answered; she sounded slightly annoyed – but Simon knew it wasn't towards him, "I think that everyone should be able to wear whatever they want without being criticised. I think that there should be...there should be a _difference_."

"Well, I think you should do what you think is right – whatever you want to do," Simon agreed, "you're very set on what you want, aren't you?"

"It runs in the family," Maleen explained.

Simon smiled; "I can believe that."

"Really?" She looked at him with curiosity written all over her face.

"Yeah, of course," He said, glancing down at her again, "I know I've only met your father once before, but he gave me a very clear impression of himself."

"Which was...?"

"Well, just by the sight of him I could tell he was carefree –"

"How?"

"By the way he dressed and walked, I guess," Simon said, thinking back to when he had first seen Jack, "he looked...happy – not afraid of anything."

Maleen smiled at that – she had always believed, as a child, that her father had never been afraid of anything; now, of course, she knew that he was afraid – he was just too proud show it.

"I also learned that he socialises easily. We started up a conversation in...five minutes? I don't know. But it was quite quick. He just waltzed in as if he owned the place, grabbed a drink form someone else's table and sat down at mine."

"He did that?"

"Sure. Where we were it was just common, really – most people did it. I have to say I was startled when he sat down opposite me, but he soon got me talking – we had a laugh really; got on well."

"So you liked him?" Maleen smiled.

"Yeah - to begin with. He was quite a nice guy; you know? He told me about his plans and asked me about mine. I told him I was soon to be married – he teased me about it a little; only playfully, not meaning to offend or anything. Yeah, Jack was a nice guy...until the next day."

"But it was only because he was protecting himself though, wasn't it?" Maleen asked; trying to come to her father's defence, "I mean; he'd never hurt Martina – not after learning how much she means to you."

"But he nearly _did_," Simon insisted, "He could have hurt her quite easily. Just a pull of a trigger – that's all he had to do. He could have hurt her so easily."

"But he _didn't_," Maleen said, her voice persistent, "that's the point I'm trying to get over to you. He could have hurt Martina, but he _didn't_. He hardly touched her from what you've told me."

"That's not the point!" Simon shouted furiously. Maleen could see the anger and sadness in his eyes as he glared down at her, "think about the possibilities! What could have happened if your filthy –"

"Don't you _dare_ insult my father like that –"

"I'll say anything I want to about him! I'm only telling the truth, after all –"

"Truth? How is that the truth? It wasn't one minute ago that you were saying you got along with him –"

"Yes, before he went and used my fiancée for his own protection –"

"For his protection! If it wasn't for Martina my father wouldn't even be alive right now –"

"Oh, for heaven's sake; who _cares_ if your father's alive? He was an irresponsible pirate! I'd laugh if he was taken to the gallows and hung for all to see! He deserves it! I wouldn't be surprised if some lucky person out there's already done it!"

Maleen felt her eyes fill with tears and found she couldn't think of anything else to say. Not now. Not after that.

She just stood there, looking at Simon - hurt and anger written all over her face.

His expression softened when he realised what he had just said.

"Maleen, I –" Simon began, but Maleen was already walking off. She wasn't listening to him as she walked through the trees and deeper into the forest; away from Simon and in the wrong direction of the beach – and Simon knew it.

"Maleen, wait!" He called after her, but she didn't turn around; she just kept on walking.

Simon ran after her.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said," He began, once Maleen was only a few paces in front of him, "I should never have –"

"No, you shouldn't have," Maleen spun round, revealing wet streaks down her face – tears, "You shouldn't have said anything. You shouldn't have even bothered to come after me. I know you don't care about me. You're _using_ me for something."

"What could I be using you for?" Simon asked.

"I don't know yet, but I have a feeling that it's to do with you and that stupid fiancée of yours – _Martina_," She spat the name as if it were a curse, "you never stop going on about her. I don't understand why you love her so much – she doesn't sound so wonderful to me."

"Don't you _ever_ talk about her like that!" Simon shouted, "How can you insult her when you've never even met her? She's a wonderful person. How can you say something like that about her?"

There was a slight pause as the two of them were silent. The only noises came from the forest around them – the sounds of bugs, the flapping of birds' wings, the rustling of the trees as the slightly breeze swept through them, the harsh breathing of Simon as he tried to calm down.

"It doesn't feel good, does it?" Maleen's voice had softened; there was no anger in it any more, only sadness remained, "Having someone insult the ones you love. It tugs at something, doesn't it?"

Simon was breathing hard and had been glaring at Maleen over the short distance between the two of them. Now the mask of fury vanished and he dropped his gaze to the ground.

"No," He answered, "it doesn't feel good."

"So now you know how it feels for me when you say something like that about my father. You may not like him – but there's no reason for you to go and express your views so freely around me," Maleen said, making her stand against what she thought was right.

"You're right," Simon answered, looking up again into Maleen's sad yet reasonable gaze, "I'm sorry Maleen. I won't do it again. I promise."

For a moment, Maleen looked like she wasn't going to accept his apology, but then she smiled ever so slightly.

"And I'm sorry for insulting Martina," She said, "I don't believe in judging people before I get to know them. I was only doing it to get my point across."

"I can understand that," Simon smiled, "so...I'm forgiven?"

"Yeah," Maleen smiled, "you're forgiven."

The rest of the day passed incredibly quickly and the two of them soon became okay with each other again. Simon said he was sorry a few more times, even though Maleen reassured him that it was fine. It was only when the sky went dark once again, and the stars were gleaming in the sky, that they eventually decided that everything was back to normal...or, rather, Maleen did.

"Look...Simon," Maleen began as she gathered up a few ingredients for a recipe she knew. Simon and Fido were a few paces away from her, assembling wood, "I know you feel bad about what you said – I understand that; it was pretty bad – but, honestly, I'm fine with it now. You don't have to keep telling me that you didn't mean too."

"Alright - I just don't want us to quarrel. Because it's just the two of us, if we fall out and split up then...you know - we need to stick together."

"Yeah, I'll agree on that," Maleen said, studying a flower whilst searching her memory for whether or not she needed it's petals for the recipe.

"Earlier I thought you'd want to go off on your own. I wasn't sure whether you'd make it or not – off the island."

"I would have managed to survive, if that's what you mean," She said, coolly, "I've got used to it."

"You have?"

"Yes, I have. I...taught myself how to live on my own."

"Did you do that so when you went looking for your father, you wouldn't need your mother to come with you?" Simon guessed, standing up with his arms full of twigs.

Maleen remembered that Simon didn't know about her mother's death...and at that moment she still wasn't sure whether or not to tell him.

"Yeah," She found herself saying, "That's exactly what I did."

'_Ready to tell him?_' Maleen thought, '_I think not._'

"I don't know how long I could live for out here alone – I guess it would be the loneliness that got to me first."

"Do you mean you'd go mad first?" Maleen asked, trying to hold back a smile by biting down on her lower lip, "before you passed out because of starvation?"

"Yeah," Simon smiled himself, giving Maleen the message that it was okay for her to do the same, "I guess I would."

"I'd have Fido though, wouldn't I?" Maleen added in as they settled down and Simon began to build the fire for her to cook on, "So I guess I wouldn't be totally alone."

"Points to me then," He smiled, rubbing the sticks together; then blowing on them. A slight smoke began to build.

"Does that mean you get more credit for staying alive then?" Maleen asked, watching as the first spark flicked on the wood.

"Yes – I get more credit for staying alive."

"But you're older than me – and more experienced. Surely that gives me an advantage."

"Ok, a little one."

"So, where do we stand?"

"I'll live for a month – you...only about two weeks."

"Two weeks!" Maleen exclaimed, "Is that it? I can cook better than you, so I'd live healthier, therefore making me live longer."

"Okay then, three weeks."

"You're only saying that because you want to win."

"No, I'm saying it because it's the truth," Simon smiled, looking up at her as the sticks began to burn. They suddenly caught ablaze and Maleen sat back, startled for an instant.

"It's not the truth and you know it," She said, getting to work on the various foods in front of her, "you're just afraid to admit that someone half your age could survive longer than you in the wilderness."

Simon couldn't think of a reasonable answer to this; "Shouldn't you be concentrating on what you're doing?" he asked – Maleen smiled; she knew that she was right.

She pulled away the thick covering of the stem from a purple flower – Maleen couldn't remember the name of it, but she remembered what it had looked like. Her mother had grown these before and taught her how to separate the edible from the inedible; and then turn what she could eat into something actually worth eating.

"I need a knife for this bit," She said, and looking up to see Simon rummaging in his pocket for his blade. He handed it to her with a small smile, watching her work intently.

Maleen carefully cut along the petals, taking away the small white bit at the bottom. She then looked up at Simon again.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I've just realised I have nothing to put it in," She smiled sheepishly.

"Ah ha!" Simon said, revealing a small metal pan from behind his back.

"Where on earth did you get that from?" Maleen asked, amazed, as she placed the pan over the fire to heat it up.

"I nabbed it from the village we went to – tied it to my belt."

"Oh," was all Maleen could say.

'_Why didn't I see that?_' She added mentally, but decided that it wasn't really important.

"Have you got anything else that I don't know about?" She asked, "Anything hidden that you don't what me to see just yet?"

Simon smiled, "Might have; you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

Maleen smiled back at him, but asked no further questions and got on with her work.

A while later, when Simon was groaning from hunger and Fido was asleep – yet again – next to her, Maleen finished the meal.

She hadn't worked for too long, but it had been longer than Simon had expected her too. As soon as everything was chopped and diced and in the pan, his stomach began to rumble. It had been amusing for Maleen, at first; but soon it wasn't just Simon's stomach that was complaining.

"Will it be ready soon?" He asked...again.

"Just a couple more minutes," Maleen promised, looking into the pan next to her to check on the meal, "it shouldn't take much longer now."

"You said that a while ago," Simon muttered, but that was the last complain she got.

"Why don't you do something useful?" She suggested, looking back down into the pot again, "It might be a while yet."

"You said it would only take a few minutes," Simon grumbled, "What do you mean 'useful'?"

"I mean making something like a bowl that we can eat out of – a spoon would be good, too."

He fished in his pocket for a moment and brought out a small metal spoon, smiling mockingly at Maleen. She took it from him with the same sarcasm.

"Kept that quiet, didn't you?" She mumbled, beginning to stir the soup with it. Small wisps of steam began to rise from the pan, heating her face as she peered in.

'_It won't be all that long_,' She decided, '_I just need to keep Simon busy so he doesn't think about his hunger..._'

"What was it you wanted me to make?" He asked her, standing so she had to look up at him. It suddenly struck her how tall he was.

"I don't know – something like a bowl; that we can eat out of."

"Can't we just eat out of the pan?"

"With what?"

"I've got more than one spoon, you know."

Maleen frowned; "You shouldn't keep so many secrets from me – it'll come back to haunt you one day."

He smiled, sitting down crossed-legged again; "Sure it will," he said sarcastically, "I'll be shaking in my boots the day you send ghosts after me."

"I thought you believed in every story there was?" Maleen challenged him, "or did you invent that tale yourself to scare young children? Because, as far as I know, it's working."

"No, I didn't _invent_ ghosts," Simon said, "I just don't believe that some guy can come back from the dead in a spiritual form to make someone else's life a misery."

Maleen just scowled at him.

Sure enough, Simon did have another spoon hidden in his pocket. He didn't bother spending his spare time on doing something useful – he just sat opposite Maleen; watching her add an occasional spice or herb to the mixture, shifting position and asking when it was going to be ready.

"Okay," Maleen said triumphantly, "it's ready."

"Thank God for that!" Simon muttered, dipping his spoon into the soup and then putting it to his lips. He paused for a moment, tasting the mixture, before giving his opinion, "This is great."

"Really? You like it?"

"Like it?" Simon looked at her almost in disbelief, "I love it – where...where did you learn to _make_ this?"

"My mother taught me – I thought I told you that."

"Well if you did I've forgotten," Simon looked up at her and smiled, "your mother is amazing if she made this herself."

"She did," Maleen smiled back, "and she is pretty amazing. She thinks I have some of her talent – but I don't quite agree with her. Hers was always better than when I did it."

"I can hardly believe that," He replied, taking spoonful after spoonful from the small pot, "what does she think about you coming on this trip, anyway?"

"Well...I don't think she would approve," Maleen answered, as truthfully as she could.

"You mean she doesn't know about this?" He gestured around himself at their surroundings, "you just...went? Leaving her on her own? She doesn't know about any of this? She could be worried sick about you!"

"No," Maleen protested quietly. Her voice was weak and she was looking down. Suddenly she wasn't as hungry as she had been before, "I mean...yes, she'd probably worried...but...I didn't leave her on her own."

"What do you mean?"

"She left me on _my_ own," Maleen explained as clearly as she could manage; her mind seemed to be struggling for the right words.

"She abandoned you?" Simon looked sorry for a moment.

"No! No, she would never do that," She bit her lip and her eyebrows pulled down together into a furrow, "she loves me – always has. She would never have abandoned me."

"So what are you trying to say, Maleen?" Simon looked confused, "I don't understand what you're trying to tell me."

Maleen huffed in frustration as she struggled to find a way to put the words together – without making it sound too blunt.

"Did you leave your mother?"

"No."

"Did she leave you?"

"No," Maleen began to get more irritated with every question; trying to answer and think of an explanation at the same time.

"Does she know you're on this trip?"

"I don't know."

"Where is she?"

"She's dead."

'_And that was exactly what I was trying to avoid_,' Maleen thought as she watched Simon's confused expression turn into one that was apologetic as he choked on a spoonful of her soup, '_What I just said sounded so...direct_.'

"Maleen, I...I'm sorry I-I didn't –"

"You didn't know – I understand that," She said, "I was trying to think of a way to tell you that wasn't so...harsh. But you kept pushing me so –"

"No, I'm sorry. I should have guessed that it was something like that. The thought just didn't occur to me."

There was a moment of silence as both of them sat thinking.

'_I know what he's going to ask me next_,' Maleen thought, almost miserably, '_no matter how hard he tries not to, his curiosity will get the better of him; he'll want to know what happened._'

She sat only for a few moments longer, thinking about her mother - about her smile and her laugh, about her smooth, healthy-looking skin and wavy blonde hair that was usually pulled back by a hankie. She thought about those beautiful blue eyes with the long black lashes that framed them perfectly and the pale pinkness in her cheeks and lips.

She had been a beautiful woman.

But she had been suspected of marrying a pirate and hung for associating with him and supposedly helping him get away from the island.

'_But _why _was my father a pirate?_' Maleen thought, '_I didn't get much from my mother's letter...the only real clue I was given was that Benjamin Meyer had something to do with it...and that P mark._

'_I need to put the clues together really. Get everything straight and figure it out for myself._'

Her thought were interrupted by Simon clearing his throat, which then made her come back to the real world again.

The ground was beneath her, the fire was before her, Fido was behind her, snoring softly, and Simon was opposite her; looking at her with curiosity-filled eyes.

"I know what you want to ask me," Maleen said; making a mental note to return to her thoughts later, "but you don't need to feel ashamed by it. It doesn't make me upset any more – it was while ago now...I think I was ten."

"So..." Simon's voice was incredibly quiet and husky, "what _did_ happen?"

"Not a lot to tell really – I didn't watch it," Maleen shuddered internally at the thought of watching a loved one die, "but I saw the scene from when they captured her. It was mostly in the kitchen; everywhere was a mess. I arrived at our house and...everywhere was quiet. She was just gone, really. It looked like it wasn't our house any more at all.

"I found the letter in a draw," she continued, patting her shoulder where the letter was safely hidden in the sleeve of her shirt, "I read it and found out what happened. They came for her - Meyer's men – and they were going to hang her at sunrise. I didn't go to watch it, as I said, but it was still sad, I guess..."

"Which letter did you find?" Simon asked, as tender as he could manage.

"This one," Maleen pulled the piece of paper down from where it had been tucked away and handed it to Simon. She found that she didn't mind him reading it; he was almost a brother to her now.

Maleen watched as Simon's eyes flicked across the page. She could see that he was sorry for her – but he wasn't the kind that would cry over someone else's loss.

He hardly seemed like the kind of person that would cry over his own loss.

He nodded once and handed it back to her, whilst giving a gesture that meant for her to carry on if she wished too – but she didn't have to.

"I waited a few years – I kept telling myself that I was planning what I was going to do...but I don't think I was. I guess...I guess I was scared. I wasn't ready."

"And then a few days ago you saw your opportunity?" Simon finished for her, at a guess. She nodded in reply.

"Well...I _am_ sorry for mentioning it," Simon said again, "and, once again – great soup."

Maleen smiled.

"What was her name?" He asked her.

"Emily," Maleen answered, "Emily-Rose Cartwright."

"She and your father weren't married?"

"No, they never got round to it...I don't think my father was every really in to commitment – doesn't like to get attached, I guess." She smiled weakly.

"Well that doesn't matter," He placed his spoon in the pan once again – there was little soup left anymore – and he raised it in the air.

"To Emily," He said and Maleen copied what he had done.

"To mother," She said sadly, with a small smile on her lips.

And they both brought the spoons to their lips.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

The Amulet

The next day, after a good night's sleep, the well-rested travellers set off once again.

Simon decided that they didn't need breakfast, and would get something once they had started the walk if they turned out to be hungry. Maleen didn't mind this; she had skipped a few meals when she had been living on the streets – it was easy for her to go one morning without food.

Maleen wasn't sure whether Simon had lived like she had in the past. She knew his childhood – or the main part of it anyway – but nothing much after that.

Where had he gone when he had run away? Why had he chosen there? How did he live? Where had he got food from? Did his mother look for him?

Maleen didn't know - but she wasn't about to ask either. Simon was planning on arriving at the beach before midday, and she didn't want to cause any tension between the two of them. Not now. Not ever.

But that did get her wondering...

She knew she couldn't let her curiosity get the better of her – but there was no real harm in thinking, was there?

'_Yes_,' She thought, '_there is_.'

Because – really – Maleen knew that if she thought about those unanswered questions, she would get more and more bugged about what those answers were. She would become more and more irritated that she couldn't work it out for herself and she would end up asking Simon about it anyway.

Yes –definitely no thinking about it.

"Whereabouts was that village we found?" Simon asked after they'd been walking for no more than ten minutes.

"Why do you ask?"

"I said we needed to go there, remember? To get things that might be useful when finding a way off this bloody island."

"I shouldn't think it would be far now," Maleen answered, "We came across it on the first day we were here, didn't we? Quite a lot happened on that day..."

She laughed weakly – a laugh that didn't really hold much humour in it.

"Yeah, I think we did," Simon agreed, "so...it shouldn't be too far away from here. It was by the river, after all."

"Hmm," Was all Maleen said; not really interested anymore. There was nothing interesting about what he was saying – so why listen to someone who isn't worth listening to?

Maleen felt slightly mean for thinking it, but she realised that there was nothing she could do to take it back now, anyway; it wasn't as if Simon had heard her say it. She wasn't sure whether Simon was right though – she had no idea how far away that village could be.

But, sure enough, Simon _was_ right – as he had thought he had been. They didn't need to walk much further in order to see a few of the huts through a small gap in the trees.

Simon didn't say anything. But, then again, he didn't need words to express his glee when the grin on his face said it all.

"Why are you smiling like the village idiot?" Maleen asked him as they hacked their way through the undergrowth to get to the small town on the other side.

"Because I could tell by the look on your face that you didn't believe me when I said it was around here – am I wrong?"

Maleen felt ashamed of herself but slightly shocked.

'_I have_ got _to hide my feelings from him better_,' She thought, amazed, '_this is just getting creepy._'

She couldn't think of a smart answer fast enough, so Simon took her silence as a 'yes'. Maleen noticed out of the corner of her eye that his smile seemed to get wider.

She couldn't help the angry sigh that heaved from her chest – it was the only way to get out her anger without hurting anyone or anything around her with her fists or her words.

She hated being proved wrong.

"Right," He said; facing Maleen square on, "your mutt's already disappeared –"

"Fido," Maleen interjected sternly.

"Okay; _Fido_ has already gone his own way – but I doubted he'd be of much use anyway," Simon ignored the glare he was given, "he's a dog and probably wouldn't understand what we're doing. But I want you to walk around and find anything that would float – wood, canoes, anything. Oh – and rope would be good as well."

"Yes your majesty," Maleen mumbled sarcastically.

"At least you know your place," Simon answered, smartly, as the girl walked past him; scuffing her boots on the ground lazily.

Maleen and Simon went different ways completely. She went straight ahead, where as he decided to walk around the perimeter of the clearing first.

Maleen was glad to be rid of him.

For a while, at least.

They had been together almost every moment since their first meeting – Maleen had nearly forgotten how many days it had been since she was in Port Royal - and she was becoming a bit sick of him. It wasn't that he was annoying...it was more that...

Maleen didn't even know to describe it.

She was just tired of being around him for so long. Yes, that was it. She needed a break. Just too...get away from him – even if it was just for a little while; like now.

She wandered around the deserted village, looking in the open windows and doors of each of the huts as she passed by. Many things she saw were the same – burned belongings, scorched earth and charred corpses.

She tried not to look at those skeletons for too long – especially at their teeth. When she did, her imagination went wild. She saw the creatures with flesh and hair, and ruby red lips that were coated with...

She shuddered, shaking away the images.

'_They're dead,_' She kept telling herself, '_if Simon's story was right there were only two survivors – and they vanished from this island years ago._'

And she kept telling herself that Simon was always right...however much it angered her to do so.

Because if he was right, that meant she was usually wrong – and Maleen hated that.

She didn't know why. Maybe it came from her mother – she always liked to win an argument, and her father had never been one to 'sulk' if he wasn't right.

All Maleen really knew, was that she hated to be proved wrong – it...dented her pride, in a way.

But that wasn't important. All that was important was that she was away from Simon for a short period time, getting a small amount to herself, and that the skeletons were dead and never coming back.

And that was that. No matter what they were when they were alive – no matter what they looked like, or how they acted – it didn't matter now. Because they were dead – Simon had said that only Ezenwa and Naila had survived the fire; and they had never been seen again as far as Simon had known.

That was both good and bad.

Good because there was a possibility that once they had escaped from the island they had died out at sea or come to some terrible end somewhere else.

But, there was also a possibility that they were still out there. Still _waiting_. Waiting for someone to come to them. Waiting for an opportunity to use their razor-sharp teeth...

Maleen couldn't help the fear that came over her. She knew that a part deep inside of her believed Ezenwa and Naila were still out there. Maleen could only describe the fear like being in a dark room. In a dark room and knowing that something was there with you. You knew it was there, you just can't see it. You could feel the danger, but you had no idea which way it was going to strike at you – it would take you by complete surprise.

And that was what really scared her.

That was what made her take a deep breath, close her eyes and forget everything that was running through her mind.

'_There's nothing here that's going to get me, nothing at all, nothing at all_," Maleen kept thinking; the words repeated over and over in her head. And, wondrously, it worked. She felt her pulse slow down to its normal speed and the fear almost vanished.

It was still there, but it was more like a shadow following her than a great beast looming over her.

She was safe...for now.

Maleen knew there was more danger to come. She had no idea how she knew – but whatever it was that was waiting for her, she could sense it. Maleen somehow sensed that this wasn't the end – this island would not be the last thing that scared her at night; that filled her head with terrifying pictures that weren't even true.

And she had a feeling – a gut feeling that came right from the pit of her stomach – that once she for filled her dream, something else would happen - something that she couldn't quite figure out, something that...gave her a strange feeling inside.

And then that flash came to her again. A flash of chaos and destruction – a flash filled with pain and anger and regret. It touched something in her subconscious; giving her a small feeling that she had seen this before...that it was important.

She didn't see much in that flash, but that gut feeling seemed to wrench inside of her when it came across her. She saw the image and her stomach jerked, doubling her over – threatening to bring up the last bit of food she had eaten.

But just as fast as the flash had come, it disappeared almost instantly. The feelings vanished and she looked around; finding herself on her hands and knees – Fido was standing next to her, looking anxiously at her with his big brown eyes and sniffing her cautiously – presumably trying to tell what was wrong.

"I'm alright, boy," She said, fussing him and sitting back on her heels, "just had an episode, that's all."

She stood up and then looked back down at herself.

"That was strange," She muttered, confused about what happened, "I was..."

Maleen's voice trailed off. She had no idea what she had been doing. One minute she had been standing, the next she was on all fours – it just didn't make any sense to her.

Fido was oblivious to her confusion though and uninterested in what she had been doing. He was nudging her leg with his snout – trying to move her somewhere.

"Wha–?" Maleen began, but she didn't finish. She was suddenly sidetracked by where Fido was trying to get her to go.

He was pushing her forwards – nudging his snout into the back of her knee; giving her no choice but to move forwards, or she would fall flat on her face instantly.

"Where are you taking me?" Maleen asked, puzzled by Fido's actions – he had never behaved like this before, "Fido!"

He kept nudging her until she was walking at her normal pace; even if she had no idea where she was supposed to be going.

Fido didn't keep it up for very long. He just kept her walking; nudging the back of her leg when she slowed down even the slightest bit.

Maleen went quiet after a few minutes; finally coming to the conclusion that there was no point in objecting to an animal – it wasn't as if he would do as he was told; Fido hadn't been trained since he was a puppy. He had been abandoned by his owners as far as Maleen knew, and she had found him - hungry and neglected – one dark night. She had been lost herself; upset about the recent loss of her mother, and had been looking for any comfort she could find. All she had was her mother's letter – it was hardly anything compared to Fido and his warm, surprisingly soft fur.

And now that dog was leading her around the small village that they were stood in – randomly, as far as she could tell.

Then, suddenly, he ran from behind her to a few paces in front; scampering away. Maleen watched in curiosity as he trotted through the doorway of one of the huts.

She was about to ask him why he wanted her to go inside that hut in particular, but mentally decided that there was really no point; it wasn't as if Fido could answer her, even if he wanted to.

Maleen followed him inside, cautiously – a confused expression on her face because of the strange circumstances; Fido had never been so persistent before.

She looked inside – one hand resting on the doorframe, the other held out slightly; as if preparing to be pounced on by something. Her eyes swiftly took in the scene before her – checking for something that was out of place, of different compared to the other huts she had looked into.

But there was nothing, really.

It was just like the others.

Burned.

Abandoned.

Daunting.

The same.

But, for course, there had to be something special about it – otherwise, Fido wouldn't have brought her here.

He was stood by a large chest – presumably used to store clothes – and wagging his tail eagerly in excitement. His tongue was lolling out the side of his mouth again; giving him a rather mad look.

But Maleen knew he wasn't mad – he was anything _but_ mad. Fido was intelligent – Maleen had never seen another dog like him.

She tilted her head in puzzlement, whilst searching the area where Fido was standing with her eyes. There was nothing really except the chest, and the large coil of rope that was neatly folded on the top of it.

So _that_ was what he wanted her to see.

"I knew you weren't as stupid as Simon said you are," She smiled, picking up the rope with both hands and being slightly shocked by the weight of it. It was thick and felt rough against her skin; the sooner she got Simon to carry it, the better, "it just shows that you _were _listening when he told me what to do."

Maleen turned to leave, expecting Fido to follow her, but surprised when he didn't. She looked back over her shoulder once she reached the doorframe again to see the dog standing rigid by the chest – somehow Maleen got the feeling he was annoyed.

"Come on, boy," She said in a light tone, jerking her head towards the doorframe in front of her.

Fido didn't move.

"Stay here then," She said, giving up.

'_I really don't get that dog sometimes,_' she thought.

But Maleen couldn't go far before she had to stop.

She didn't _choose_ to stop, exactly. It was more of a curiosity thing that made her pause and look down at the back of her knee.

And there she saw Fido. He was gripping the fabric of her trousers, which was just above the top of her boot, with his teeth – refusing to let her go any further.

"Look; I got it all," Maleen insisted; showing him the coil of rope in her arms almost as if it were proof, "there's nothing else to get."

And then, to her surprise, Maleen heard a noise that she hadn't heard in a long time.

Fido growled.

It was a grumble that seeped out through his teeth; coming right from the depth of his throat. It made Maleen freeze. Her jaw tightened and she looked down at Fido with such caution – afraid.

She had never been scared of Fido before; he had always been a soft and cuddly dog to her – warm and loving; shoulder to rest on when she was struggling with her changing life.

But now this strange mood of his was scaring her. Fido had been protective of her and himself before – but that had been towards strangers who had been threatening to hurt her. Now Fido was being threatening towards _her_ – Maleen. The person who had looked after him after he had been chucked out of his own home.

This wasn't right.

Something was obviously bothering him.

Fido's growl faded out into just harsh breathing and he loosened his jaws so that Maleen could get free. She didn't dare carry on the route she was planning to take in the first place, though; for fear of her own safety.

Instead, she turned around, slowly; locking her fearful eyes with Fido's. But, astonishingly, the aggression that had been there not a moment before had vanished, and the dog that she had known for four years of her life returned to his normal self – the way she had remembered him.

His eyes were soft and that lovely shade of brown that Maleen could never forget. His fur was golden and the hackles on his back that had been standing to attention were now relaxed - and, of course, that all familiar tail of his was wagging gently.

"Okay then," Maleen mumbled, mostly to herself, "if it wasn't the rope; what _did_ you want to show me?"

Fido seemed to understand her...in a way.

As she spoke, he trotted over to the chest again – and this time Maleen noticed something different.

'_It must have been hidden underneath the rope,_' she thought, walking towards it slowly; her eyes flicked across to Fido who was standing beside the thing that he had so desperately wanted her to see. His brown eyes seemed to be gleaming with excitement.

Obviously he thought there was something special about this bag.

But there wasn't really. It was just an ordinary cloth bag – not even any draw strings to keep it shut.

Yet Fido still wouldn't move away from it. He nudged it with his nose then looked up at Maleen; moving out of her way as she went to pick it up.

'_Probably just food or something,_' Maleen guessed; but she wasn't even close.

She picked up the small sack and was startled by the weight of it. She was expecting it to weigh almost nothing, when actually; it was about the same weight as her box had been.

Maleen slid the rope off her shoulder – as it was beginning to make it ache a little – and took the bag in both hands. She looked at it for a few seconds before holding the open end of it with one hand and sliding her other one inside.

She was amazed by what she brought out.

Her hand clasped around a cool, metal object. She took it out...

And stared at what she had discovered in amazement.

It was a star – a five pointed star that was engraved with many patterns and letters that Maleen couldn't quite make out and understand. Her attention was drawn more to what it was inside it though.

Six gems of different colours were on it – each with their own little dent so they didn't fall out easily. Maleen looked at them in wonder and shock, taking in each of the colours. White, red, green, yellow and purple were in each of the points of the star. And in the centre: blue. A wonderful blue that reminded her of her mother's eyes – it seemed to change colour depending on which angle the light reflected off it; Maleen found it beautiful.

And that was when Maleen realised that she had guessed wrong about what it had been made from.

Not metal, gold.

It gleamed amazingly in the sunlight that seeped through the window that had neither glass nor shutters on it. Maleen was astonished.

'_It's _gold_,_' She thought, unable to say it out loud, '_it's made of _actual _gold!_'

A long chain that was also made of gold hung freely off one of the points of the star. A small hole had been either drilled or chiselled out so that the series of joined little rings could go through. It could easily be worn as a necklace – but the amulet was a little big for that; it fit into Maleen's palm perfectly and was nearly as thick as her thumb.

She was staring at it in wonder – and was able to see Fido's wagging tail out of the corner of her eye – when she heard the footsteps behind her.

"Found anything?" Simon's familiar voice asked.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

The Raft

"Maleen?" Simon said, trying to see whether or not she had heard him the first time, "Have you found anything yet?"

"Um..." was all she could say without turning round. For some reason she had a feeling that showing Simon the amulet wasn't such a good idea, "yes," she finally answered, "I...I found this rope."

She thrust the amulet back in its bag whilst turning to face Simon for a moment before bending down and picking up the rope she had carelessly dropped to the floor.

"Here," Maleen said quickly, "you can take it; you're stronger than me and it's quite heavy."

She bundled the rope into his arms hastily – almost making it obvious that she wanted him sidetracked – and made a swift step towards the door; tying to do it discreetly but failing.

"You're in an awful hurry to get away from me, aren't you?" Simon said, suspiciously, "Are you hiding something?"

"Nope," Maleen answered, clutching the cloth bag that was behind her back even tighter than before – just in case Simon knew it was there and was about to lunge for it. He didn't.

"So why are you acting all edgy round me?"

"Fido and I were just..." She racked her brain for a believable lie, but failed to come up with one quick enough before Simon noticed her pause.

"Were just...?"

"Going to get some more wood. I thought I saw some by that ritual place you mention last time – I was going to go and check." She bit her lip, waiting to see Simon's reaction. Waiting to hear him accuse her of bluffing.

"Alright, off you go," He said.

There was no trace of suspicion in his voice at all.

Maleen was surprised, but managed to control her expression before Simon met her gaze.

"Are you going or not?" He asked.

"Oh...yeah; of course," Maleen answered, the words tumbling out in her shock. She could hardly believe that she had managed to lie so well.

And so, Maleen slipped out of the doorway, closely followed by trusty Fido; hiding the bag as well as she could in her departure.

Maleen followed through with her lie. She wasn't planning on it to begin with, but then decided that if she was caught somewhere else two minutes after lying to Simon's face, she'd be in big trouble and would probably have to come up with another lie – and that was just too much hassle.

Fido trotted beside her – his usual self again – his tail was wagging in circles and his eyes were wild in anticipation for another adventure. He seemed to have completely forgotten about the amulet he had found for Maleen.

She, however, had not.

The bag that Maleen held tightly in her hand seemed to weigh more and more with every step she took – drawing her attention down to it. She wanted to take another look at it; nothing much, just a sneaky peek – but she knew that wasn't a good idea - especially when Simon could turn round a corner at any moment and see her gazing at it.

No. It was far too risky.

Yet, Maleen still had no idea why she didn't want to show Simon. She didn't want him to know about it at all – not even see the small sack it was hidden inside. It was hers – and she didn't want Simon going anywhere near it.

'_It could be because of its potential worth_,' Maleen guessed, mentally, looking down at the cloth again, '_it would make sense..._'

And it did make sense. All of the facts fit together – it was made of gold and jewels, after all. It would be perfectly reasonable for Maleen to want to keep the treasure for herself. She was poor and had hardly anything to call her own compared to most people – perhaps this amulet that Fido had helped her discover was something that she could sell; so she could live a better life...

But Maleen knew that wasn't it.

However much it made sense – wanting money and happiness – Maleen didn't believe that that was the answer. She wanted a bit more wealth; but she wasn't desperate for it. She knew she could live without a penny in her pocket – she'd been doing it for almost four years after the remainder of her mother's money ran out.

And that had been fine. It hadn't been easy; but she had survived, hadn't she? -and ended up in quite a healthy condition too. Maleen wasn't so skinny you could see the individual bones in her spine – in fact, she felt sorry for those who hardly had any meat on their bones.

But if contentment and riches wasn't it, what was the answer?

It puzzled her.

It wasn't her mind that was telling her to keep the amulet away from Simon - although it did play a small part in it – instead she had that feeling again; that feeling deep down inside of her. The feeling that it was _wrong_; and something terrible would happen if Simon found out about it.

'_Argh! This is so confusing!_' Maleen's mental voice was loud inside her head. She found it so frustrated that she couldn't figure it out. But for now...

"Maleen? Are you ready to go?" Simon's voice made Maleen look up; she had hardly been paying attention to where she had been heading.

"Hmm? Oh. Yeah, sure."

"Did you manage to find that wood?" He asked, looking area.

"No there was none there after all," Maleen answered; realising that she hadn't actually gone where she had planned too – whoops.

"Never mind, I've got quite a bit," He piled a bundle of wood into her arms, "let's go – we'll arrive there soon, I hope."

Maleen was overwhelmed by the amount of wood Simon had managed to find – and how much he had given to her. Her arms were aching from the weight already.

"What did you do; chop down half the forest?"

Simon laughed, "No – but I will if we need any more."

Maleen was about to ask what on earth he planned on making – but then decided that keeping her mouth shut would be best for now.

She tucked the little sack into her belt and prayed to the heavens that Simon wouldn't notice it because of all the wood she was holding.

And then, for the second time that day, they set off for the beach.

Simon was right – it didn't take them long to get down to the edge of the island. There were there by mid-afternoon and Maleen's arms were aching terribly by the time they got there. She dropped the stacks of wood onto the sand with a thud before flopping down next to them and landing in a star shape.

"Our work's not done yet," Simon called to her, from nearer the shore. Maleen shut her eyes and pretended not to hear him – no _way_ was she going to do any work at this moment in time.

"Maleen? Did you hear me?" Simon's voice seemed to get closer to her. She opened her eyes when a dark shadow loomed over her.

"Excuse me," She said in a bossy tone, "you're blocking the sun."

"I thought you'd be thankful seeing as though you were complaining of been to hot earlier," Simon stood by her feet; his hands on his hips in an impatient manner.

"We'll I've decided I want to lie in the sun now," She answered smartly, "and so if you'll move out of the way I can carry on with what I was planning on doing."

"I said our work isn't done yet," He said, his voice almost a growl.

"Really?" Maleen frowned.

"Not even close," He raised his eyebrows in a 'what can you do?' gesture.

Maleen groaned.

"Fine," She said, "I'll help. Just tell me what I need to do and I'll get to it, okay?"

The grin that appeared on Simon's face unnerved her. It gave Maleen a feeling that she was going to regret what she had said – and that what Simon had in mind for her wasn't going to easy.

"What is it?" Maleen asked, suspiciously, "Why are you...smirking like that?"

He didn't do anything to begin with – just looked at her with that little smirk on his face; his eyes glistening with something similar to excitement.

And then he told her what the plan was.

By sunset everything was ready.

Simon's plan had been fairly simple, but had tired the both of them out in the process. Because of the boiling sun beating down on them and the effort they both had to put into the jobs they were doing, by the time it was finished they were both worn out.

It was worth it though; and they both knew it. What they had created was their only real chance to get off the island – their only chance to carry on their journey and get to where they wanted to go.

It wasn't the best kind of transport for travelling on the rough seas – it was a handmade raft that Maleen didn't quite trust.

Simon was convinced that it would enable them to reach their next destination, though – however much Maleen said otherwise.

"Are you _sure_ that it'll be safe?" Maleen asked, "I mean, are you _sure?_"

"It'll be fine," Simon reassured her, "we've just got to hope that the seas are good to us; that's all. I doubt that pile of wood will be able to cope with it."

Maleen looked at the raft they had worked so hard on; she scrutinised it, taking in even the slightest details to try and convince herself that they would be fine whilst journeying across the ocean on it.

But, really, it only made her fears worse.

Half the wood they had gathered hadn't been suitable, but Simon had gone back and collected a bit more – as well as managing to chop a few trees down in the process; although he wouldn't tell Maleen what he had used to do it. She didn't mind though. She had stayed at the beach and got some time to relax until Simon returned – and that was when she had to join in and help.

They had basically tide many long logs off wood together with the rope that Maleen had found, with thanks to Fido. Simon had taught her the knots she would need in order to tie it securely and that was really all she needed to do. But the knots had needed to be tight; so when she had been pulling on it, the rope had given Maleen burns.

It was okay though. It had made her incredibly tired, but Simon had had the hardest job. He had put himself in charge of arranging the wood and carrying it from location to location while Maleen pulled and fixed the rope in place.

But after all the sweaty brows and the aching backs, Simon had been pleased with what they had achieved. Maleen hadn't been so sure on it, but had been glad with the rest she got afterwards. She sat in the shade; her toes digging into the sand as she sat between two roots of a tree. She lent her head back against the trunk and closed her eyes. Fido came up next to her, panting from the heat; she wrapped an arm around him and rubbed her fingers against his fur.

It felt so nice just to sit there on the golden sand, the warm rays from the sun reflecting off the clear blue sea and onto her closed eyelids. It was so peaceful and blissful just to rest for once. Just to rest and listen to the soft waves lap up against the shore.

She brushed her hair back from her forehead and combed her fingers through it once; getting it out of the way.

'_I might need to cut that soon,_' She thought, frowning still with her eyes shut, '_or tie it back somehow to keep it out of the way..._'

Maleen guessed she wouldn't be able to bring herself to cut her hair. She loved it long and shoulder-length. It was the same colour as her father's, just not as thick. Hers was more silky, like her mother's had been.

Fido rested his chin on her knee as she stretched out her legs in front of her; rotating her ankle to stretch the joint in the process. It clicked, making her wince slightly for an instant.

"What are you doing?" Simon asked after Maleen had been sitting comfortably for a few minutes.

"I _was_ relaxing, before you got here."

"Well, I thought you were eager to get away from this place."

"I was, but you can't miss an opportunity to relax like this," Maleen still didn't open her eyes, but gestured to her surroundings.

"Okay, but I want to get going whether you do or not," Simon placed his hands on his hips and waited for Maleen to say something. She didn't, "are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, I'm just choosing to ignore you."

"How nice of you," Simon muttered, sarcastically, "I guess you won't be interested in where we're heading then?"

Maleen said nothing.

"Tortuga?"

He noticed Maleen peek up at him from underneath her eyelids. She couldn't close them quick enough before Simon noticed her interest.

"Got your attention, did I?"

"No, I was just checking why you were still here. I couldn't find an answer, so gave up."

Simon's expression was blank, but Maleen's remark didn't put him off – she was interested, she was just pretending not to be.

"Tortuga is the best port I know, of the top off my head," He carried on, "I've been there before once or twice – a great place to have a drink."

"How far away is it?" Maleen asked, squinting up at him.

Simon smirked, but decided not to gloat that he had been right – again, "Not far, I don't think. I'm guessing it's the closest island to here – or something like that."

"You know an awful lot about this place," She said, catching on; even though Simon had hoped she wouldn't.

"Yes, I suppose."

"Why?"

"Because...I just do, okay? I know that we'll be pretty safe from The East India Trading Company there as well, I think – but you might want to be carful, it's not the safest place for a kid like you."

"I'm not a kid," Maleen interjected, but Simon was satisfied with this response.

He didn't want Maleen to remember that he knew a lot about the island. He wanted her to think that the adventure wasn't over yet and that they still had days to spend together.

He didn't want her to know the real reason that he knew so much about Tortuga, or why he wanted to go there so badly.

He didn't want her to know that their time together was running out.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17  
**Tortuga

The journey was a quick one, and the sea decided to be good to them. They travelled fast, but peacefully and Maleen relaxed the whole way.

She lay on her back with her eyes closed, for the most part; just lying under the sun and feeling the heat of it seep into her skin. The air was fresh and clear; she could almost taste the saltiness of the sea.

It took them the rest of the day, though, and it was dark by the time they made port at the small island. They were all glad to finally be on land again, but Maleen was disappointed – it was a hot, cloudy night and she couldn't see any stars. As she looked up at the sky and saw nothing but black, something deep inside of her wrenched - a jolt that tugged at her heart strings.

It was a strange feeling; a mixture of many emotions she had experienced in her past. There was loneliness and longing and complete despair and desperation. She felt isolated and quail – vulnerable to everything that went near her.

And yet...

Yet she also felt hope – which went against all the other feelings she had inside of her. It was almost a...second sense; her mind trying to tell her something that she knew deep inside of her, but she couldn't quite bring to the front of her mind.

And in that little corner of her head – that little thought that she couldn't quite reach – she could feel that hope just waiting to get out. She could feel the faith and delight of something she hoped would happen in the future; something she somehow _knew_ would happen.

And most of all – a feeling that overpowered the rest by a long way, one that made her take a deep breath and her lips turn up into a smile – she felt love.

Not just her love, either. She could feel others'. She could sense the different frequencies of it that were coming from little shocks in her mind. And each shock was connected to someone she knew, someone she had known, and even unfamiliar ones – of people she was yet to meet.

And it was one of these strange, unknown shocks that caught most of her attention. It conquered the others; making most of them feel insignificant compared to this one person's love. She could feel the compassion and devotion of it and it made her feel...

Confused.

This person who had uncontrollable feelings for her – she hadn't even met them. She had no idea of who this person was, or why they loved her so much, or what was going to happen between the two of them.

And most of all, she had no idea how she knew about these feelings. Maleen could sense this love, but she couldn't figure out who was giving it to her – or rather, who was _going_ to give to her.

It almost frightened her.

"Well? What d'you think?"

The thought vanished from Maleen's head as if it had never been there in the first place. All of her attention was drawn to answering the question that Simon had directed at her.

"Hmm?"

"Do you like it?" Simon asked, waving a hand out in front of him as if revealing the landscape to her.

"It's..." Maleen worded her answer carefully so as not to offend – she wasn't in an insulting mood right now – "not what I expected."

Simon was beaming as he looked around at what surrounded them as if it were his kingdom. He had obviously been here before.

Maleen didn't agree with Simon's vision of the place, though. He looked like he had been waiting to step foot on this land for years; whether or not it was true was another matter.

It was a very...simple island. It was dark because of the time of evening, but candle light filtered through many open windows and doors of various buildings all around. From what Maleen could see there was no person on the island that was sober – apart from those who were just arriving. According to what Maleen could see, it was a place where people came to get drunk – for that reason only.

'_But,_' she presumed, '_I guess they all must have a reason. Every one of them must have a story to tell as to how they got there and why they came...most of them must be taking the edge off of some trouble that they've been through..._'

And she was right. Most of the men and women she could see did have a story to tell. It could be from a lost love to a trouble childhood or even a shocking sight that had scarred them for the rest of their lives.

Every story was different, yet similar at the same time. Each person had their own version – their own story. Their own vision of things when they happened.

Simon didn't waste time. As soon as they stepped off the raft – not even bothering to tie the unstable thing to anything so it didn't float away – and onto the board walk, he began to march through the streets; not even checking whether Maleen or Fido were keeping up with him. He looked like he was in a hurry to get somewhere, but Maleen couldn't think why – or where he could be heading that was so important.

The streets were filled with men and women, and the further they went into the town the louder it got. It seemed that this time of night was the most popular time to go out drinking. Maleen felt slightly intimidated as she dodged out of the way of two men who were stumbling out of a bar together – the only reason they were still standing was because they were leaning on each other so much.

"Are you sure that we got the right place?" She asked; scooting closer to Simon for a moment as a woman came running past, shrieking in the way of a mad man.

"I'm certain," He answered, the smile still intact on his features, "I'd remember this part of town anywhere."

Maleen knew he was supposed to make that sound like a bad thing – and it was; this part of the island was anything but safe – but for some reason, it seemed that Simon could have no bad view of any part of the world at this moment. He looked so happy, Maleen felt she could punch him and he wouldn't even look to see who had done it.

There wasn't much talking after that – mostly because there was too much noise and music coming from each of the bars around her, but partly because neither of them could think of anything else to say.

And Simon didn't really care. He was excited that he had even made it back to this island so quickly – he didn't care what Maleen thought any more. He didn't really need her there for him as company.

Because he was finally here; back in Tortuga.

He was finally in the place he had always wanted to be – and the place he had been the night that everything took a turn for the worst...

But that was no longer important to Simon. He was where he wanted - and needed - to be. All he needed was to find the person he had come looking for.

They continued to stride down the streets and around numerous corners – Simon wasn't slowing one bit – until they got to a quieter part of town. The noises could still be heard clearly, but there weren't as many people running around yelling at the top of their voices.

Maleen felt lost and confused, and had concluded that she had had enough.

"Simon," She said, standing in front of him, so he couldn't carry on his route, "will you tell me where it is you're taking me?"

"I'm not taking you anywhere," He replied, rather bluntly.

Maleen gave him a confused look.

"I'm not exactly forcing you to come with me – you're just following me like some lost pup," He looked like he wanted to take that back after he said it, but didn't apologise; he just carried on in a calmer voice, "you can go your own way, if you want to; I won't try to stop you."

"But you said you'd help me," Maleen insisted, "You said you'd help me find Jack."

"I never said I had stopped helping you find him," Simon replied, "I'm just saying that, right now, there are more important matters on my mind."

He tried to step around her. Maleen moved in his way again.

"What matters?" She questioned, "What could be more important than going back on your word?"

"I'm not going back on my word," Simon's voice was still quiet, but persistent as well. It was much quieter here; there was only the faint sound of music in the background, far away, and Maleen could hear Simon's hushed tones quite well, "I've got you to Tortuga, haven't I? Your father loves it here – it's one of the few places which he can go without having to care about much – he's bound to have been here recently. Ask around, if you don't want to come my way first."

"Just tell me where you're going and I might consider leaving you."

"What's stopping you now?"

"The fact that I've never been here before and have no idea where I am or how to get around without having to risk my own safety."

"Hmm."

"That's it? That's all you've got to say? 'Hmm'?" Maleen looked up at him, fury building in her chest. It made her feel strong and powerful – ready for a fight, "You don't care about me at all, do you? I said you were planning something, didn't I? And did you prove me wrong? No, you didn't. I have no idea what it is, but I know that you've used me for something. So what was it? If it was getting here, then I wasn't as much help as you had hoped for, was I? I hardly did anything. So that must make you really disappointed – what a waste of time I've been!"

"You haven't been a waste of time," Simon said, quietly, "You've been wonderful company. We got to know each other pretty well, don't you think?"

Maleen looked at him for a moment; wondering why he was behaving in such a way. It wasn't Simon's usual behaviour.

"Yes," She finally said, slowly, "I suppose we have."

"But that was all I was really using you for – company," He looked right at her; his eyes fixed on hers, trying to make her believe that what he was telling her was true, "And, yes you did help me – that soup you made was great; even if you didn't believe me, I loved it. You were a great help when we were getting off that island today, as well. Yes, I admit, I did need a helping hand with getting here – Maleen, you were anything _but_ a waste of time."

She paused for a moment and realised that Simon was holding onto her shoulders. She shook him away and took a step back, examining him.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She finally asked, "I just yelled at you and accused you of using me – why haven't you defended yourself, like you usually would?"

Simon's smirk was back on his lips before Maleen could finish her sentence. He didn't answer for a short moment, and Maleen thought she saw something glint in his eyes – excitement, perhaps? She wasn't sure.

"I guess I can't be angry at the moment," He said, ultimately, "I have to look my best, you see – and anger doesn't look good, does it?"

"I suppose not, but –"

"Just come with me if you want to find out what I mean," Simon interrupted; his smile still intact, "I know you're curious – and I'm sure they won't mind meeting you."

Maleen's eyebrows pulled down into a small furrow in her confusion. Who was he talking about? Who were these people that he referred to as 'they' just to get on her nerves? Why did he have to look his best? Why couldn't he get angry? Was he only staying calm because he felt he _couldn't_ get angry, just because he was about to meet these people?

That was the main reason why she was confused – he had to look his best. Who for? Who would care in this town, anyway? They all looked like she had when she lived on the street – and they seemed to not have a care in the world about it.

"Just tell me where you're going," Maleen insisted, moving in Simon's way again as he tried to get past her.

"But that's half the fun," He smiled, "it's a surprise."

"I don't _like_ surprises."

"Well that's tough then, isn't it? Because I'm not going to tell you."

Maleen huffed and glared up at Simon, trying to seem as frightening as possible – trying to break the barrier of stubbornness that he had so spitefully built around him.

It didn't work. Simon just kept on smirking.

"Fine," She said, giving up on her fearless act, "the sooner we get this over with, the better."

Simon took Maleen to a very quiet side of town.

It was a lot more taken care of than the other places Maleen had seen on the island. All of the buildings looked a lot more like houses than bars and pubs. The noise was just faint in the background.

Each street was fairly narrow with the houses squashed up next to each other, as if they were fighting for room. They looked narrow, but long – so Maleen presumed there would be a fair bit of living space inside. Each house was painted a red-brown colour and was fairly simple; but well looked after – and that was what Maleen took into account mostly.

They hadn't been walking for long, but it seemed to be getting darker and darker with every few steps they took. Light still streamed out of the unclosed windows that surrounded the three of them, giving a warm golden glow though out the street; but Maleen still felt that the sky seemed to becoming a darker black – if that was even possible. She took a guess that the clouds were clearing, and hoped that she would be able to see the stars later on.

Simon stopped at one of the houses. To begin with, Maleen had no idea how he knew that this was the right one; all of them looked exactly the same - same colour, same wood; same slate on the roves.

"Fido will have to wait outside," Simon said, knocking on the door with his bare knuckles, "someone who lives here isn't too keen on dogs."

Maleen was about to protest, but decided against it. She wanted what was best for Fido, and she had met others who 'weren't too keen on dogs' before. Those people hadn't treated dogs well in any way. Maleen had seen people beat them – kick them and laugh – she's watched things so horrible that she had tried desperately hard to keep them blocked out of her head...

Yes, it was best if Fido stayed where he was.

She glanced down to see Fido lying on the ground; his big brown eyes filled with sadness. His tail wasn't wagging and Maleen's heart reached out to him. But then she noticed one small change about the house which caught her attention.

This house had a flower sitting next to the stone step that was below the door.

A white lily.

It was beautiful - the crystal white petals curling naturally to reveal the orange anthers inside. Its long stem was a brilliant green, and had been cut at a diagonal at the end.

It looked as if it was waiting there; waiting for something or someone.

Maleen was just about to ask about it – ask Simon whether he knew why it was there, or what it symbolised – when the door swung open to reveal a man standing on the other side.

He looked fairly old, with a balding head of grey hair. He was smiling, revealing crystal white teeth, and making small wrinkles appear around his dark brown eyes. He was fairly tall and broad, and his skin was a shade similar to coffee; perhaps a little lighter.

He had obviously known that Simon was at the door, as his arms were open wide in greeting. The man took no notice of Maleen as he captured Simon in a giant embrace. Simon didn't seem shocked at all – he almost looked prepared for it.

"Simon, my man!" He said, standing back to look at him, "You have finally managed to return! Do you have any idea how long we have been waiting for this day to arrive?"

Maleen felt like she was invisible. The two men that obviously knew each other so well were taking no notice of her whatsoever – Simon seemed to have completely forgotten about her and the man with the auburn skin was acting as if he hadn't seen her at all; and maybe he hadn't, Maleen wasn't sure.

"I'm sorry it's been so long; how is everyone?"

"I'm sure they'll be happy now that you're here," The man wacked Simon on the back, playfully, "we were all starting to give up on you – it's good you came before we became too worried to think...come, come in! You're standing outside as if this isn't your home!"

Maleen followed them, almost absentmindedly, into the house. Neither the man nor Simon were paying any attention to her still – the door was left open inattentively for her to walk through; the man with the auburn skin still didn't even know her name.

She didn't mind being treated like a ghost at that moment, though. She was thinking hard and taking in everything that was around her – every piece of furniture, every word spoken; every little carved wooden animal that sat on the hearth of the fire.

She was trying to put the clues together that she knew – things she had picked up on and classed as unimportant, when, actually, they had been pretty significant – and come up with an explanation as to where she was and why Simon had come here.

Well, she was in Tortuga – that was a start – and Simon had taken her to a house that belong to some guy, that he knew quite well...

The lily on the doorstep – that had to be something to do with it, too...

The fact that Simon wouldn't get angry because he said he had to look his best...

The way that Simon was so excited about meeting these people who lived at this house...

"Martina? Can you come down for a moment? There's someone here I think you'd like to meet," The man called up the stairs.

And in that moment – that small quantity of a minute – that sentence made Maleen's mind click.

That was when everything fell into place.

Martina.

Maleen looked up at Simon who was standing next to her. He finally seemed to notice her and looked back down so their eyes met each other. He smirked and raised his eyebrows briefly – but no words were needed for the message to get across.

Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it before? Maleen was frustrated that it hadn't already clicked – why else would Simon want to look his best? Why else would he know the man so well? Why else would Simon be so excited and eager to get here? Why would there be a white lily on the doorstep, if it hadn't have been Martina's favourite flower – and the one that Simon thought she resembled?

Because he was going to see his fiancée; Martina.

And that was when she appeared at the top of the staircase.

Maleen felt herself draw in breath.

She was beautiful.

Martina walked down the stairs, her left hand clutching the banister tightly as she descended. She had lovely shiny black hair that fell down to her elbows – it looked sleek and soft like the fur of a cat; a white lily entwined into it with a small braid – and she presumed that the young woman was the man's daughter, because some of their features looked similar.

Martina had the same coppery skin as the man, except hers was firmer and smoother because of her youth. Her eyes were the same shade of dark brown, but were framed with long, thick lashes instead of short thin ones.

She was slim and a bit taller than Maleen - but not as tall as Simon - and a pale green dress waved around her. Bare toes peeked out from under the hem with every step she took.

She was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women Maleen had ever seen.

"Who is it?" Martina asked once she got to the bottom of the staircase, "who was it you wanted me to meet?"

This confused Maleen, because Simon was in obvious view of the girl. He was standing no more than a few feet away – yet she still looked around the room with those eyes of hers; curious.

But then Maleen noticed something – well, a few things, actually. Martina's hand was still clutching the rail of the banister, as if using for support to stand up. She stood perfectly still, moving her head around the room in all directions...but not moving her eyes.

Her beautiful dark brown eyes stayed in the same position; not budging as she tilted her head around. Maleen knew that most people's eyes would flicker, as they focused on one thing and another, but Martina's...they stayed perfectly still.

That was when Maleen realised what was wrong – what the tiny little error was that made all of Martina's beautiful features insignificant. Maleen no longer focused on her beauty and envied her because she was just so lovely. Instead she felt sorry for her, as Simon walked up to her steadily and took her right hand; the one that wasn't clutching the banister.

Because, as Simon held Martina's hand to his lips; kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her eyelids and her lips, Martina could only feel it.

Because the girl that Simon loved so much – cared for with every inch of his life - was blind.

"Simon," Martina breathed, recognising his warm touch and his scent, "you came back."

"You didn't think I'd forgotten, did you?" He whispered back, "I could never forget about you."

Maleen stood, almost to shocked to move, as Martina and Simon greeted each other. She had never imagined the beautiful woman to be unable to see – Maleen had pictured her in her head as someone with the ability of sight.

But that didn't make Maleen think any less of her. Martina was beautiful, and looked gentle and graceful, and a brilliant person to be around. She seemed to glow with kindness and warmth; and that was something that Maleen adored.

But she knew that Simon would adore it even more. He was so careful around her so...protective - ready to catch her at any moment if she even stumbled – that Maleen felt like she was intruding their privacy as they stood and embraced one another. Martina was resting her head on Simon's chest as he wrapped his arms around her and smelled her hair.

Maleen looked down to give them as much solitude that was possible in the rather small room.

"And who's this?" The man that Maleen thought was Martina's father asked, "Simon, you didn't introduce you to your little friend."

Simon looked up and turned slightly so he could see them both, he was about to answer when Maleen spoke for herself.

"I'm Maleen," She said, holding out her hand for the man to shake, "Maleen Sparrow."

"Harold Johnson," He said, taking Maleen's outstretched hand in his, "Nice to meet you."

"Sparrow?" Martina asked; her voice was soft and wonderful to listen to, even if there was a hint of fear hidden in there somewhere, "as in; Jack?"

Maleen felt almost ashamed to admit it to Martina – that Jack was her father. It must have been so terrifying in the situation Jack had put her in. She wouldn't have been able to see what it was like around her – she could only have been able to hear the threats and feel Jack's hands holding onto her for his own protection...

"Yes," Maleen admitted, "He's my father."

Martina looked like she was trying to control herself – trying to not think about the memory that was creeping back into her mind. She was probably trying to forget about it – and Maleen didn't blame her.

There was a short silence as Martina took this information in.

"Simon told me," Maleen said, looking into Martina's beautiful eyes, like she would with anyone else, "about what happened - about what Jack...did. And I want you to know that he's a good man, really. He's just protective over himself...and...I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Martina questioned; her voice as soft as ever, "why are you sorry?"

"Well..." Maleen couldn't think of a good enough reason, so decided to go with the best she could come up with, "I guess I'm apologising for my father. I've never known him to do something like that before...I'm sorry for what you went through."

Martina was looking at her with those unseeing eyes of hers. Her features showed she was grateful for Maleen's apology – even if it didn't quite count.

"Thank you," She said; and Maleen could tell by the way Martina said it that she meant the words, "really – that means a lot."

Simon had an arm around his fiancée's shoulders and seemed to be oblivious to what was being said around him. He seemed so pleased to be where he was – looking down at Martina's beautiful face so admiringly. Maleen couldn't help but think highly of him. She almost felt...proud.

It was strange, really – that pride that swelling ever so slightly inside of her. It wasn't as if Simon was related to her – but she did feel proud...and happy. Maleen knew she was happy for Simon – happy that he was finally happy; finally complete – and she felt proud merely because she knew him. She was glad she knew him, that she was friends with him. She was happy that she had a friend that was such a gentleman – someone who knew exactly what he wanted, and wasn't afraid to go after it with everything that he was worth.

Maleen found herself smiling as she watched them...just being together; being happy with just each others' company. They looked right together – wonderful. Simon's slightly tanned skin next to the auburn colour of Martina's; it was a beautiful picture.

"How old are you, Maleen?" Harold asked, out of the blue; obviously trying to let the couple greet each other without having to be watched. Maleen was glad of the distraction too.

"Fourteen," She answered, almost instantly. Her throat was a little dry, but she managed to get the words out without much difficulty, "my birthday's in about two months. I'm hoping to have found my father by then."

"You're...looking for him?"

"Yes..." Maleen said, uncertainly, "Is there anything wrong with that?"

"No, no!" Harold said, almost defensively, "I mean...you said Simon told you about what happened - this family has...difficulties with Jack Sparrow."

Maleen took a deep breath, preparing to give Harold a lung full about how she'd had to put up with all of this from Simon, and how much it had annoyed her. She didn't want to get off to a bad start with Harold, and give him a bad first impression, but Maleen felt there was no other way to get the message across. She wanted to get it out of the way now, rather than later.

But just as she was about to speak, another voice came to her ears; the words shocking her more than any others had done before.

"He's a good man, really," Maleen looked at Simon's face; hardly believing what she was hearing, "You know I met him – before it happened – and I told you what a good time we had, and we got along well –"

"That does not excuse him for being a pirate – and that it certainly does not mean he is forgiven for what he put Martina though!" Harold looked like a different person to the one who had answered the door. He was frowning – his eyes dark with growing anger.

Simon didn't say anything for a moment. For a few seconds he just stood there, looking at Martina's father with something similar to boredom, before rolling up the sleeve on his right arm.

Maleen wasn't sure what he was doing at first. His sudden movement startled her; the act itself confused her.

Why was he rolling up his sleeve? How would that help the situation? Maleen couldn't come up with any answers before they were revealed to her.

Simon rolled up the sleeve of his to his elbow, and then twisted his arm so that it was clear to see.

The mark.

The burn.

P

"Simon," Harold breathed; he was looking from the mark on Simon's arm to Simon himself continuously. His eyes flicking across, "is this true?"

"See for yourself," He replied; his face set stern, "I can tell you now – being a pirate does not make you a bad man."

"What is it?" Martina was asking, "Simon, what's going on?"

Simon turned to face her, taking one of her hands lightly with his. He placed it on his arm where the mark was; letting her feel for herself what they were talking about.

With a look of confusion on her perfect features, Martina felt his arm for a moment – trying to find what Simon wanted her to - before her fingers began to trace the letter that had been burned onto Simon's skin.

"Simon?" She whispered, "What...what _happened?_"

"They handed me over to The Royal Navy," Simon explained, coolly, pulling his sleeve back down again, "and told them that I had been associating with pirates. They branded me pirate, myself, and jailed me. I was supposed to face the noose the next day, but I managed to escape before dawn..."

Simon's voice trailed off as he watched Martina with worried eyes. Maleen knew that he would hate for Martina to think badly of him – even if he had done nothing wrong; neither of them had known that Jack was a pirate before it was too late.

Simon looked as if he were bracing himself for Martina to walk away from him, to burst into tears or get angry. He expected her to be disgusted with him...

But she wasn't.

Instead, she looked up at him with those unseeing dark brown eyes of hers and smiled.

"I don't care," she said softly, smiling, "I love you, and I have done for a while now. I don't care whether you're a pirate or not – it doesn't change that I still want to marry you...I'm sure many a pirate live here, too – it's one of the few ports left that haven't been taken over by The East India Trading Company – and most of them haven't given us any hassle" – she took his face in her hands, somehow aware that he had been looking away – "That mark means nothing to me."

Simon smiled, and Martina's fingers felt the movement with her hands. She smiled too.

And that was when Maleen realised that these two people were meant for each other; that they would be together forever.

Martina cared so much about Simon - so strongly and surely – that she could look past the things she had been taught to believe as a child. She could move aside the rumours and stories which put pirates in the dark; the ones that made them seem like horrible people who deserve to die. She could ignore them all – every single one of them – all because of the love she shared with one person.

And Maleen was amazed by them. She couldn't believe that two people could care about each other so much, before she had seen this. And now she had seen it with her own eyes – something she wasn't taking for granted any more – her heart filled with warmth. Maleen now knew the meaning of true love.

It was this, before her.

It wasn't gazing into each other's eyes constantly, and loving someone because of their beauty. It was loving someone for who they were, and having the courage to show them the real person that was inside of you. It was knowing that, someday, you would agree to a future that you both wanted.

In this case, the future was marriage.

And Maleen couldn't think of two better people to spend their lives together.

"Would anyone like a drink?" Harold asked, appearing in a doorway, holding a tray; Maleen hadn't even noticed that he'd gone anywhere, "I'm afraid there isn't much choice. We have port, milk and water; but I'd advice you not to take the milk though. I think it's gone a bit off."

"So, actually, we only have a choice of port and water that's probably got some kind of illness hidden inside of it," Simon smiled, going back to his usual joking self.

Harold smiled back, "Afraid so."

"Well, how about we go out for a drink then?" Martina suggested, "We need some time to catch up, don't we? And they'd be a larger variety of –"

"I think I'll stay here, then," Harold interrupted; almost a little too hastily, "I'll take care of your little friend Maleen while you're gone."

"I can look after myself, thank you," Maleen answered, calmer than usual; she was trying to contain her anger so she could get what she wanted in a more mature way, "and, if it's not too much hassle, I'd like to go with Simon and Martina."

"Why would you want to do a thing like that?" Harold asked; anger seething in his every word, "you are staying here with me, and that's the end of it."

"Father, it's fine –" Martina tried to come to Maleen's rescue, but Harold wasn't having it.

"Martina, you stay out of this," He said, "this is a stubborn child who needs to know where her place is in this community. And, even though I haven't known her long, I can tell that she's going to be trouble. She's Jack Sparrow's daughter – and that man was a nasty piece of work."

Maleen gritted her teeth in the anger that built up inside of her. Her hands began to tremble with the force she was clenching them under.

"I've already said that Jack was a good man," Simon interrupted, his voice hard, "that hasn't changed –"

"What are you talking about?" Harold spat, "Jack Sparrow is a disgrace to humanity. He used our Martina to get away – the coward. And this little girl of his won't be any different; I can assure you. She'll cause havoc in that bar you're going to. She's staying here for your own good!"

"No," Maleen said, harshly, "I'll do what I want to, not what some old man asks of me."

"There you have it!" Harold said, "She's doing already – talking to me as if I'm a slave of hers! Well I can tell you now you little brat –"

"Don't you dare talk to her like that," Simon interrupted, his voice was quiet, but there was anger in it; it was stern, "don't you _dare_."

Harold was looking at Simon with something similar to confusion in his face. He seemed shocked that Simon would say something like that – and he was.

"You're taking sides with _her_?" Harold asked, appalled, "the daughter of a _pirate_?"

"In case it escaped your notice," Simon answered, "I'm a pirate myself. Are you saying that if Martina and I were to have a daughter, you would treat her as you are treating Maleen now?"

"Of course not," Harold replied, turning innocent for a second, "In that situation, I would treat her well because she would be family – Maleen, however, is not a member of our family, Simon, and I am disgusted that you would treat an outsider so warmly. She is the daughter of Jack _Sparrow_; the man who nearly killed Martina."

"But he didn't kill Martina, did he?" He said, "He was using her to get away – he wouldn't have harmed her."

"What happened to you while you were away, Simon?" Harold asked him; looking at his face carefully, "you've changed so much. When it happened you were appalled with Jack – what's so different now?"

"I've become a better person," He answered. Maleen looked at his face; he wasn't joking, "Somebody taught me a lesson a few days ago. I learned the hard way, I'm afraid, but I was taught that you should never judge anyone so quickly. I knew Jack for only a few hours, and we had a great time together. I've not forgiven him – in fact, I'm still angry that he tried to solve the situation by putting Martina in danger –"

"What are you getting at, Simon?" Harold asked, impatiently.

"I'm trying to say that you shouldn't insult someone you don't like – even if they only did something wrong to you – when somebody who actually does like that someone is right in front of you."

"And who taught you this lesson?"

"Maleen," Simon answered, "and I'm glad she did. She knows that I'm not too fond of her father – but she taught me that it doesn't feel too great when somebody insults someone you love."

Harold paused for a moment, looking at Simon with disapproving eyes, "what are you trying to tell me, Simon."

"I'm trying to tell you that Jack Sparrow is a good man, in the most part. And even if he was some kind of monster who cares for no one at all but himself, his daughter is not the same in any way. She's nothing like her father, as far as I'm concerned."

"And what makes you so sure?"

"I haven't known her for long, but we've been stuck together for the past few days and we've gotten to know each other quite well. I know that she would never do anything like what Jack did – even if her life depended on it."

Harold stood in the little room, breathing heavily in his anger. He knew he had been beaten – everyone else knew he had been beaten – but he was refusing to admit it.

"So, can I go with Simon and Martina, Harold?" Maleen asked; a little to cheekily for someone who hadn't fought their own battle – even though she had wanted to.

"It's Mr Johnson to you, brat," He grumbled, walking from the room with his shoulders hunched. That was the last thing Maleen heard him say.

There was a brief moment of silence as Maleen and Simon watched the door where Harold had made his angry exit. Martina had her head bowed down, and was huddling close to her fiancé.

"Is he usually like that?" Maleen asked, to no one in particular; still looking at the bead curtained door where Harold had made his exit.

"Yes, that's Harold all over," Simon answered, "he has..."

"Anger issues," Martina finished for him, when he was stuck for the right words, "he's had them for as long as I can remember – his moods change rapidly. He never takes it out on any of us though, usually. Father's always been...difficult around strangers; and I don't think it helped that your father is Jack Sparrow."

"I know," Maleen replied, almost inaudibly, "it seems most people agree with you there."

Martina hadn't heard her, neither had Simon. Both of them were standing quietly, opposite Maleen, and Simon was looking around the room as if he'd never seen it before.

"Should we get going then?" Martina asked, after a short moment of clearly uncomfortable silence, "You know what that bar's like at this time of night. If we're not careful, we won't get a table."

"Where is it that we're going?" Maleen asked, as Simon turned into the room that Harold had disappeared into.

"It's a nice place," Martina answered for her, "a bit noisy, I must admit, but the people there are jolly. They won't give us much hassle."

"What's it called?"

"The Sword & The Skull," Simon answered Maleen, appearing again with a dark purple velvet cloak in his hand. He draped it over Martina's shoulders carefully whilst talking, "it's where Martina and I met – I know the bar man quite well."

"My mother works there too," Martina said; smiling as Simon stroked her hair, "That's how we were introduced. Simon was there with his friend, Jim – the man at the bar – and my mother took me there with her so we could talk while she worked; my father and brother were drinking somewhere else and I don't like to stay at home alone."

"Then at one point Jim and Mrs Johnson decided that it would be good to introduce us," Simon smiled at Maleen, "and, boy, am I glad she did."

"She was pleased when we announced the engagement," Martina said, smiling, also, "but father found it a little hard to take in." She chuckled quietly.

They headed out the door, and Fido rejoined them, pleased for some attention. Maleen fussed him a little, while Simon picked up the white lily from the doorstep and tucked it into his belt.

"Thank you for waiting," He whispered in Martina's ear, making her smile and blush slightly.

"I would have waited for eternity," She said, placing her hand on the side of his face, "it was worth every second."

Maleen watched as Simon looked into Martina's dark brown eyes. His face was filled with a childish happiness – as if he couldn't believe that he was standing there, with Martina before him.

Because even Maleen could tell that these two people were meant to be together. It was one of those things that you could tell – just by the way they looked at each other.

And then Maleen looked away; giving them a little privacy as Simon brought Martina's lips to his.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

The Sword & The Skull

The bar that Simon walked them to was fairly small compared to what Maleen had imagined.

It was candle lit, like all of the other bars in the area, and was quite busy. As they walked through the double doors Maleen raised her eyebrows at how many people there was. It wasn't so packed that you could barely move, but there were large crowds of people that you had to squeeze past if you wanted to go anywhere. A small group were dancing in a corner to the music a man was creating from a banjo. Everyone was smiling – except one man who was resting on the bar, unconscious; but Maleen guessed he had been having a great time before he passed out because of the faint smile on his lips.

Simon led the way through the clusters of bodies to a table near the bar; holding Martina's hand all the while so they didn't lose each other in the crowd. Maleen struggled to keep up with them; but stuck close to Fido and always made sure that Martina was in sight. As long as she didn't lose her, she wouldn't lose Simon, and therefore wouldn't get lost.

The table that they finally managed to get to was to the side of the bar, and out of the way of the numerous people that were hovering around. It was simple – made of wood – and had a small candle placed in the middle. Four chairs surrounded it, and Simon sat Martina down in one of them. Maleen sat opposite her, Fido lay on the floor.

"I'm just going to catch up with Jim," Simon said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of the bar, "will you be alright on your own for a moment or two?"

He was looking directly at Martina, and still not letting go of her hand – he was obviously protective over her.

"I won't be alone," She answered him, giving his hand a little squeeze, "Maleen is with me; I'm sure we can get to know each other better while you are away. I think Jim will be glad to see you after such a long time."

"Alright," Simon smiled, and squeezed Martina's hand like she had done his, "I won't be long."

Maleen watched him disappear into the nearest group like he was being swallowed up by the sea; one minute he was there, the next he was gone.

Her attention was then drawn to Martina. She was sitting at the table, her hands out in front of her on the hard wood, twining her fingers in different ways in her nervousness. Simon had said she was good at socialising, but perhaps she got nervous easily too.

"Are you okay?" Maleen asked, noticing that she looked a little anxious, "You look a bit pale."

"Me? No, I'm fine," Martina smiled, her dark brown eyes flickering around as she tried to search for where Maleen was sitting using only her sense of hearing, "I just get a little...nervous when he's not around."

"You don't have to be afraid," Maleen reassured her, "Nothing's going to hurt you here."

"You say that to make me feel better, don't you?" Martina said, with a weak smile, "thank you, but...I just...I can't believe you."

"Why not? You can trust me. If there is any trouble, I'll be able to spot it and protect you."

"You don't know how much that means to me, but Maleen," Martina's eyes stopped flickering at rested where she presumed Maleen's eyes were; she was almost right, "I haven't known you very long at all, and I find it difficult to build up trust with those I haven't got to know well. I'm sure you're a wonderful girl, but I don't know what kind of person you are..." She smiled, "thank you, all the same."

"If you don't trust me because you don't know me very well, then why don't we change that?" Maleen asked, determined to get Martina to like her, "What do you want to know?"

Martina smiled slightly wider, "You have a brilliant way of getting people to think like you, did you know that? There's still some of that childish curiosity in your voice, but I can presume that you're...thirteen?"

"Fourteen," Maleen corrected; trying to get her voice to sound happier, so Martina didn't think she was bored. She wasn't bored at all; but Martina couldn't see her smile, "my birthday's in a few months."

"What was it you said you were planning on doing?" Martina asked, biting down on her lip as she thought, "back at the house?"

"I'm looking for my father," Maleen answered, a little embarrassed with having to admit the fact to the woman he had put in potential danger so he could escape from his death, "He left me when I was six and I haven't seen him since."

"What did you mother think of him leaving?"

"She was upset, but there wasn't much she could do really, was there?" Maleen laughed weakly, "she seemed to know it was going to happen someday though – it was as if she was just dreading the day...I think she was."

Martina smiled kindly as Maleen spoke, nodding ever so slightly to show she was listening. Maleen couldn't help but thank her for being so understanding; they barely knew each other, and they were already sharing stories.

"Why did your father leave?"

"I'm not too sure on that yet," Maleen answered, "I've wondered about it for a while, and just decided that I'd wait until I found him – asked him himself, you know?"

"Well, I could always help you figure it out, if you want," Martina suggested, "I like puzzles such as this, it gets me thinking."

Maleen felt a warm feeling grow inside of her, "Really? You'd help me do that?"

"Of course," Martina smiled, resting her elbows on the table, "what clues do you have, and how do you think they link together?"

"Um..." Maleen thought about where to start. She wasn't sure which details were important and which weren't; plus, there was just so many of them.

"I think this would be the best place to begin," Maleen said, pulling the letter from where she had hidden it previously.

"What is it?" Martina asked.

"It's a letter my mother left me. I found it after she got taken away for associating with pirates – I've kept it ever since."

"What does it say?"

Maleen remembered that Martina couldn't read because of her disability. She unfolded the paper, and read out what was written. She didn't really need to follow the wonderfully curved letters on the page in order to tell Martina what they spelled out. Maleen had read the piece of paper so many times, the writing was stuck in her head; memorised.

But she read it anyway.

When Maleen was finished Martina sat back in her chair; her eyebrows pulled down in concentration. She looked in deep thought, but Maleen also noticed that her unseeing eyes were slightly shiny.

'_Uh oh,_' Maleen thought, '_I've upset her._'

But when Martina sat forward again, all traces of sadness had vanished from her perfect features.

"The easiest way to do this is one step at a time," Martina answered, "but I don't think we have time to solve it all."

"What do you mean?"

"You have to break it down and put the little things together first; the easy bits. Then you build up to the more complicated ones –"

"No," Maleen interrupted as politely as she could muster; but there was still a hint of annoyance in there somewhere, "I meant; what do you mean 'I don't think we have time to solve it all'?"

"Well, Simon and I are leaving soon to get married," Martina answered; her eyebrows pulled down so a little furrow was between them, "didn't he tell you that?"

"Yes, but...why do we have little time?"

"We're taking my father's boat," Martina answered, and then added the final piece to the puzzle, "and we're leaving as soon as possible."

"And I can't come with you?" Maleen said; it wasn't really a question.

"I'm afraid not," Martina answered, "I...I thought Simon told you all of this. We're going on our own, taking my father's boat and leaving as soon as possible when Simon returned to me."

"I was only told that you two were getting married," Maleen whispered, "but...where will I go? I'll be on my own – I won't be able to get anywhere by myself."

"I'm sorry, Maleen," Martina looked so upset for her that she almost wanted to postpone the marriage until Maleen felt she could carry on without them. But she knew that Simon would never allow that – they'd both waited so long for this day to come, "I...I don't know what to say."

"It's alright," Maleen said, placing her hands on the table and fiddling with her nails, "I should have guessed that this was going to happen..."

But inside Maleen knew that it wasn't alright; it wasn't alright at all. Who was she supposed to talk to know? She only had Fido, but he wasn't much company at the best of times. At that moment he was snoring at her feet – he was loyal and friendly, but wouldn't exactly be helpful as she sailed the seas in search of Jack. He couldn't do as much as a person could.

And the thing that tugged at her insides most – made her feel slightly nauseated and frightened – was the sudden truth that she was now alone.

She was truly alone. There was no longer anyone she could discuss her worries and fears with; even though she would undoubtedly have even more than before now. She was afraid of so many things – so many possible things could happen to her.

There was no longer anybody to protect her from danger - nobody who she could run to and hide behind if something terrifying appeared. She could no longer be a little girl anymore – not even the slightest bit. The childish curiosity that Martina had mentioned had to go – vanish completely - if she wanted to survive on her own.

She had to be fearless and mature – ready to fight at a moment's notice. She had to be alert and aware of everything that was going on around her.

But all of this would be so difficult for someone like Maleen.

Because she was alone until she found her father, now.

To begin with it had been sheer luck that Simon had been in the brig with her – pure chance that he had been nice to her, and helped her escape with him. It had been coincidental that he had helped her to survive, and she had done the same in return.

Nothing had been planned whatsoever.

And what if her luck had run out?

What if, now that Simon was gone, she wouldn't come across another being that would help her? Simon hadn't asked for anything but her presence and perhaps a little help, but what if someone else, that she desperately needed, wanted something more? Payment that she couldn't give?

All of that was in Maleen's future – for now she had to deal with the present.

"Maleen? Are you okay?"

She looked up into Martina's worried face; Maleen's eyes glistening with tears from the fear that had suddenly become so real to her.

It was really happening.

She was going to be alone.

"I'm fine," Maleen answered, shaking her head. Her voice wasn't convincing, "I'm just...realising the truth, I guess."

"I really am sorry you had to realise this way, Maleen," Martina said, feeling across the table for one of Maleen's hands. She found one and held it comfortingly, "I really am."

"I know, but it isn't your fault," She replied, "I guess...I guess I just expected you to stick around for a little longer, you know? I knew that you weren't going to be with me forever...although I wouldn't mind that either – you're really nice to me."

"I have reason to be," Martina answered, "you're a nice person."

Maleen smiled and looked down at the hand that was being held by Martina. She squeezed it slightly as a silent thank you for her comfort. Martina smiled back.

"Thank you," Maleen said, "so are you."

Simon found them in this position – holding hands and smiling at each other in a friendly way. He seemed pleased with the fact that his fiancée and Maleen were getting on well already. It was a shame that they wouldn't spend much more time together though.

"Everything okay?" Simon asked, coming up behind Martina and resting a hand on her shoulder, "I see you're getting on well already."

Maleen said nothing. She felt slightly hurt that Simon hadn't planned on warming her about his sudden departure. Martina, on the other hand, replied to his remark.

"Maleen's a very nice young woman," She said, "I'm glad you introduced us."

Maleen couldn't help but smile at that. She was glad that they had been introduced too.

"Are you ready to go?" Simon asked, bending down and kissing Martina on the cheek.

"Already?" Martina asked, "But...we've only just arrived."

"We did agree to leave as soon as possible," He said.

Martina cast a glance in Maleen's general direction. She still hadn't let go of her hand.

"It's okay," Maleen whispered, noticing that Martina's expression looked as if she was only hesitant because she felt bad for her, "You can go."

It pained Maleen a little to say it, but she knew it was for the best. Simon and Martina were going to leave sometime soon – probably tonight if they could – and Maleen would only end up begging them to stay with her, or persuading them to take her with them; and she knew that that wasn't right. Martina and Simon would want privacy when they were newlyweds, and grovelling would do no good whatsoever.

She would end up alone eventually, so why bother attaching herself to those whom she couldn't stay with? It would only harden the blow that was going to hit her any time soon. It was better if it was a clean break – everything was over and done with as soon as possible.

"You can go," Maleen whispered as encouragingly as she could manage, when Martina still didn't rise from the chair she was sat in, "please, just...go and have your happy ending."

"But what about yours?" Martina answered; her face was worry and guilt stricken – she obviously didn't want to leave Maleen to fend for herself.

"I'll find mine...eventually," She said, "...I just want the best for you and Simon...I'll make sure that I find Jack, so you don't need to worry. I won't stop until I do."

"Send him my regards," Martina said, with that small kind smile of hers. Maleen didn't expect to hear something like that from Martina – not after what Jack put her through – but thanked her all the same with another quick squeeze of her hand.

"Good luck," Maleen said, as Simon took Martina by the hand. She stood up hesitantly, "and...goodbye."

"Farewell," Simon said, with a swift nod of his head; trying to keep his emotions to a minimum. But he paused for a moment, thinking over something. He then fished around in his pocket and brought out the little tin that he had kept close to him over the past few days, "Here," He said, placing it on the table and pushing it towards Maleen, "You'll need it more than I will...think of it as a parting gift...and, um...Maleen? Thanks for...everything, I guess."

He didn't want to sound too sad about having to leave Maleen on her own. He did wish he'd told her about his coming departure sooner – it seemed harsh to just abandon her; unaided and alone. She was only young – fourteen, was it? – yet had such a great task set ahead of her; one that she had put there herself.

And he did care for Maleen, even though he would never say it out loud. Over the few days that they had known each other they had bonded miraculously and Simon couldn't believe how close the two of them had become. Maleen was almost like family to him now. She knew everything about him that he thought was important, and she had told him most of the things that had happened to her in return. They understood each other like most family members did and that was a bond that Simon loved.

Yet he knew he would have to let go of the friendship that they had managed to build up. He knew that he and Maleen would probably never see each other again; however much he may want to. And he knew that he would never get to see how her story ended.

But that was nothing for him to hold on to. He hadn't been planning on going with her all of the way to begin with. He was still angry at the thought of Jack. His protectiveness over Martina was a kind that he couldn't control. Simon believed that Jack was a good man, but still knew by the tension in his knuckles that he would end up getting into a fight with Jack if he ever saw him again. His fists knew the exact moves they would make in order to make Jack Sparrow pay for putting his beloved in danger.

That was irrelevant at the moment, though. Now he had to say goodbye to Maleen forever.

But there was no more to say. There was an awkward moment of silence as the three of them waited – waited for the others to speak.

Simon nodded swiftly once again and Maleen did the same. It was a symbol of their final goodbye and a hope that they would see each other again soon.

Little did they know that this was going to be the final time they ever saw each other. It would be the last glimpse they ever got of each other's faces. The last time they could read each other's expressions and wonder what was going on inside the other's head.

It was the last time they would ever see each other.

They didn't know that then, of course. They presumed that they would, some day in the future, cross paths once more, and be reunited; but that wasn't true.

Because one of them would come to a terrible end before the other managed to find them again.

One of them was going to die.

But, with one last long look at Maleen, Simon led Martina away from the table where Maleen sat and through a group of people; heading for the door.

And that was the last time she ever saw his face.

Maleen sat for a few seconds, frozen, staring into the flame of the candle that was sat on the table in front of her.

She couldn't believe what had just happened.

All of those fears and feelings she had been dreading came flooding back to her – swarming her, swallowing her up until she felt small and insignificant in the world around her. She felt powerless, lonesome and weak – unable to do anything that she wished to.

She felt like a lost child who wanted their mother – wanting to be brave and biting down on their lip so they wouldn't cry because of their fear. She felt...

Maleen didn't even know how she felt. That was how bad it was. Her feelings were so new to her – so fresh and confusing that she couldn't understand them.

She wanted to cry so desperately but no tears would come. She wanted to scream, but her lips wouldn't move. She wanted to beat the table with her fists until they bled, but her muscles were frozen in place.

Maleen could do nothing...and that made her feel even more useless and unwanted.

She managed to get herself into a standing position after sliding Simon's little tin into her pocket – unaware of where she was planning on going or the importance of that little tin that was now in her pocket – but had to lean against the wall after taking a few steps because a wave of dizziness took over her.

'_It's the shock,_' She told herself, mentally, '_you're just...realising what's happened. That's all._'

But no wise words could stop the pain and confusion that still stirred inside of her. The pit of her stomach felt empty, yet heavy at the same time. She felt sick and too warm for comfort.

Rubbing the back of her hand over her forehead, Maleen looked around the room that she was in. It was still the same, yet she felt like she was looking for someone – checking that they were there.

Simon, perhaps? Maybe; but what would be the point? Maleen couldn't stay with him; he was heading off with Martina.

Her eyes slid to her left; to the corner of the room, and, for some reason, Maleen was surprised at what she saw.

She saw a boy of a similar age to her. He was crouched, with his arms folded on top of his hunched-up knees. He had similar colour skin to Maleen – a healthy tanned colour – but maybe a little paler. His eyes were dark, and his hair, too, was a rich dark brown. It fell across his forehead and just over his eyes – but was short enough for him to be able to see. The clothes he wore were simple – basic trousers that were cut off at the knees and a loosely worn white shirt. He had a sword, a dagger and a gun tucked into his belt and had bare feet at the moment; but Maleen noticed that a pair of black boots were resting near to him.

And he was looking at Maleen.

Almost as soon as her eyes drifted into his direction, the boy looked away; he seemed embarrassed that he had been looking at her. Maleen was intrigued and watched the boy for a few more moments. He was looking around the room, pretending he didn't know Maleen was there.

'_Strange,_' She thought, but lost interest almost immediately as she returned to her sorrowful thinking. The lonely feeling had vanished for the few moments she had been thinking about the boy, but now it was back again – the pit in her stomach seemed to get deeper.

'_Where do I go from here, then?_' Maleen wondered, sighing involuntarily, '_I've only got Fido left now...and he still hasn't moved from the table._'

She looked over to where she had been sitting, expecting to see a snoring dog on the floor beside it. But, to her dismay and disappointment, she saw nothing.

A course of panic surged through her as she looked around frantically for her canine friend. He was the only family she had until she found Jack – if dogs were even classed as family.

'_Fido, please, oh, please, don't you abandon me too,_' She begged, mentally; her eyes flicking around as she tried to catch a glimpse of golden fur.

Pictures flashed through Maleen's mind of her future without Fido. He had been there for so long – ever since her mother died – and had been the only family and comfort that she had. He had stood by her and refused to leave, he had been loyal and trustworthy and magnificent. He had never been a pain and Maleen had never come across any reason why she might want to send him away. In fact, the thought of it sent sadness through her.

But she hadn't sent him away, anyway.

He'd vanished.

Gone.

Without even a trace of where he went.

The only other possibility was that someone had taken him. It seemed more logical, because Fido wasn't the kind to wander off or run away. He had always made sure that Maleen was in his sight – even if he wasn't always in hers.

But she had known where he was, back then. Before now they had never been in a room that was filled with as many people as this. Even if Maleen lay down on the floor, she knew she would never be able to see Fido due to the mass of legs that were in her way - belonging to furniture and people.

And that was when a thought struck her. Out of nowhere – it just suddenly popped into her head.

It was queer; strange that this would suddenly occur to her. But it made perfect sense – it was the best explanation for everything that was going on.

Maleen stopped searching for Fido with her eyes. She knew exactly where he had gotten to, and had no idea how.

It was one of those things that she just _knew_. She didn't know how she knew. But she did. A strange feeling went through her whenever she discovered something like that. It was unexplainable. It made her feel...strange inside - excited yet serious at the same time.

'_Like those dreams..._' Maleen thought, '_with the cold and the pain and the numbness. But...what do I know about them?_'

She pondered it for no more than a second before coming up with an answer to her own question.

'_I know they're dreams..._' She decided, '_they have to be there for a reason so...the question is; what do they mean?_'

The enquiry hung in her mind for a short moment as Maleen wondered about the answer to it.

But, whilst searching her mind for things that could explain those dreams of hers, she remembered about Fido and her thoughts dissolved into nothing.

She was now set on finding – or, rather; getting back – Fido.

And Maleen knew that wouldn't be difficult, because, now, she knew exactly where he was.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19**

Jozan

Maleen marched over to the boy in the corner; her expression stern.

She felt slightly angry and jealous about the situation – nothing like this had ever occurred before. Fido had always been her dog, not anybody else's, and it had seemed – up until now – that Fido had thought about it the same way.

But by the way he was acting around the boy in the corner; it seemed that Fido wanted more than one master, now.

The boy had his legs stretched out now – a change from the hunched-up position he had been sitting in before – and Fido was lying over him; his whole body splayed across the boy's legs. He was fussing Fido behind the ear, causing him to swish his tail across the ground in pleasure.

Maleen felt the pang of jealousy hit her – that was what she and Fido always did.

As she approached, Maleen noticed that the boy didn't seem to be focusing so much on amusing Fido. He looked away from him – and from Maleen - stroking his fur slowly, as if he were in deep thought.

"Why did you steal my dog?" Maleen asked, as sophisticated as she could; trying to solve the matter with as little hassle as was necessary. She expected him to say that he didn't know he was hers and just give him back. That wasn't the case.

"And good evening to you to," He muttered, the nervousness vanished from his features; it was replaced with confidence and cheek. A brilliant smile appeared on his face, "how nice of you to introduce yourself."

"And how nice of you to kidnap my dog," Maleen said; her tone resembled the boy's almost perfectly.

"I'm Jozan," He said, holding out a hand for Maleen to shake, she looked at it in disgust.

"Why won't you answer me?"

"Because I didn't steal him" Jozan answered simply, shrugging as if it wasn't his problem, "I'm sorry if you misunderstood the matter."

"Look, I don't know who you think you are but I don't like arrogant, over-confident tools who think they know everything," Maleen finally said; her patience snapping in two, "So, unless you're dim-witted, I can't think of any other reason why you wouldn't speak to me like an adult."

Jozan sat still, his smile vanished. All of a sudden he looked timid, his dark eyes slipped so they were staring at the floor to his side. The hair on his forehead fell in front of his face – like a curtain he was trying to disguise himself behind.

"I'm sorry," He said, looking up just enough so he could look into Maleen's eyes, "can we start again?"

Maleen took a deep breath to calm herself, but it did no good. The anger that had built up in her chest was still there.

"Why on _earth_ would I do that?" She hissed, "I only came over here to get my dog back; why do you even have the nerve to talk to me after you took him away from me? I've never come across anyone like you before – and I count myself lucky for it."

Jozan kept looking up at her; hurt showed in his face, but Maleen only ignored it.

"Come on, Fido," She muttered, turning away as her canine friend jumped up and followed after her slow, yet angry, footsteps, "let's get out of here."

She headed for the door, quickening her pace slightly so she could get away from the bad mannered boy that had annoyed her so much.

They only got a few feet before a hand caught Maleen's wrist.

"Please," Jozan said; his face looked as if he were on the verge of begging, "I don't even know your name."

"Well you'd better start asking around, then, hadn't you?" She hissed back, narrowing her eyes before pulling away from Jozan's grasp.

"Wait," He said, reaching for her again, but missing this time as she turned out of the way, "I only acted like that back there because I was nervous. I'm not really an arrogant over-confident tool."

"Somehow I can't believe that," Maleen said, looking him right in the eye.

And she somehow felt that that was a mistake. Because, in that small moment where her eyes flicked to his, something pulled inside of her; made her feel...strange inside.

It was a feeling she had never felt before – a small, growing feeling that made her feel confused. It lasted no more than a second, but in that small moment, Maleen got the sense that Jozan was feeling it too.

But just before she had time to act on it, the shattering noise of glass made the two of them spin around.

The noise made everywhere go quiet in the small pub. The group in the corner who were dancing to the music, stopped – as did the man who was playing the banjo. No one moved; no one spoke. Everyone stopped and listened; looking for who had made the noise and why. Their curiosity was understandable.

Both Maleen and Jozan were searching with their eyes for what the commotion was all about. Raised voices soon explained everything.

"Get away from her!" Someone yelled; and Maleen found that she recognised the voice.

She began to shuffle forward, squeezing her way between the bodies around her to get a better view of what was going on. A few of the men and women made noises in complaint as she barged past. She only got past a couple of people before a man refused to move out of her way.

"What's happening?" Jozan whispered in her ear, making her jump.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" She hissed back, "I'm not physic."

There was a small chuckle from behind her. Maleen elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow!"

"Shut it, then," She said, grumpily; but a sneaky smile was on her face, "I can't concentrate on what's going on."

Jozan was silent after that, apart from the ruffle of clothes as he rubbed where Maleen had elbowed him through his shirt. She didn't mind that she had put him in pain, though; it was nothing serious, so what was there to be worried about?

She stood on her tiptoes to get a better view, but still couldn't see very much. There were the arms of one man, held up in some kind of surrender – and Maleen had no idea who he was – but he was hidden by a crowd of other curious spectators. There was a young woman, too, who Maleen couldn't help but smile at when she saw her – the graceful Martina who was standing and watching the scene too; her unseeing eyes were filled with fear...

But there was no sign of Simon. Martina stood alone, her arms folded across her chest as she tried to calm herself. Maleen wanted to help her; stand next to her and hold her hand to reassure her that everything was alright and she wasn't alone, but she knew that there were just too many people in her way. It would take far too long for her to reach her. The man in front of her didn't look like he was going to change his mind about moving either. So Maleen could only stand and watch Martina from a distance; praying that no one would harm her while Simon wasn't around.

Maleen's attention was quickly taken back to the commotion that she was crowding round for – and she had to figure out who's the voice was that she had recognised; the voice that belonged to the person she couldn't see due to another spectator that was in her way.

"I've told you to stay away from me after what you did," The familiar voice said, sternly, "so, if you're not careful, I might have to teach you the hard way."

There was a short chuckle from the man that was hidden – the man that Maleen had no clue about. She could only really see his hands now; palms pressed together in a symbol of respect – perhaps he was backing away – and he hadn't spoken so his voice hadn't given her any clue either. Yet those hands – more importantly the _rings_ – they were somehow recognizable...

And that voice – the voice of the man that Maleen couldn't see – she definitely knew that from somewhere...

And that was when it hit her, a mixture of emotions ran through her veins as she tried to stop her head from spinning – sadness, anger, loneliness and hope.

But, of course! How couldn't she have known? Why hadn't she realised it sooner?

Maleen felt dumb for not recognising the man – it was kind of obvious.

The voice belonged to someone she knew well – very well indeed – but it was only due to the amount of time they had spent together – the amount of time she had spent listening to his voice – that she had managed to figure it out. That voice was now engraved into her mind because it had said so many words to her previously...in the last few days.

"If you leave now, I won't come after you," Simon said, reasonably, "but if you take one step closer to me or Martina, I swear you'll regret it."

Maleen gulped. This version of Simon was beginning to frighten her. In those days that they had been together, he had never sounded so menacing. She couldn't see his face, but guessed that he would look intimidating – frightening because of his protectiveness over Martina.

After all, she was his world. There was nothing he would ever trade her for; no amount of money, no size of shiny jewel. He would risk his life in order to save hers - and if that wasn't possible, he certainly wouldn't rest until he found the culprit of her death and made him pay the price. And that price would be high. The highest a price could be.

Death.

And now, Simon was protecting his world – everything he lived for, everything he belong to and everything that he owned. He was standing there in front of her, shielding her from whatever was a threat to her; hoping, that by whatever powers he was capable of, that he would be able to get her away safely – even if he was unable to do the same for himself.

"Look, Sim –" The other man began, making Maleen hold her breath as she listened intently to his voice. It was familiar, but those few words weren't enough for her to fully understand what he sounded like. She would need him to make some kind of speech in order to realise who he was – if she had ever seen him before, that is.

But Maleen knew she would never get to hear that speech that she needed – that speech that her curiosity wanted to hear. Because, almost as soon as the man had begun to talk, Maleen saw Simon's fist fly out of nowhere.

Nothing had gone in slow motion, like she had presumed it would. If anything, the whole scene had sped up in front of Maleen's eyes; causing everything to be confusing.

One minute, Maleen could see the other man's arms – still with palms pressed together – and the next she could see nothing but Simon's fist; held fast in midair as a hard thump of a body sounded as the other man hit the ground. His knuckles were turning pink already and Maleen had a pretty good guess on what had happened.

"Ouch," Jozan muttered; only confirming that she had been right with her conclusion, "that's got to hurt."

Maleen ignored him for the moment, concentrating on what was going on before her. She still couldn't see Simon's face, but the back of him was now in view, as he stood over whoever he had punched to the ground.

"That was for the last time we met." She heard him hiss, before walking over to Martina and taking her arm, "Let's go," He added in a softer tone, "I want to get you out of here before he gets back up again. He's the reason I was away for so long – I don't want him causing something like that again."

And with that, they were gone. Simon hurried Martina out as quickly and safely as he could, ever glancing over his shoulder to check whether or not his victim had managed to stand yet. Maleen stood as tall as she could muster and managed to get a glimpse of a pair of boots that were lying on the floor. Most of the crowd was dispersing now that the action was over, but a few others were hovering around the man who had been knocked to the ground – blocking out everything but the boots he wore on his feet.

'_That's no help,_' Maleen thought, annoyed, '_if he's not going to speak, at least let him be seen._'

But, of course, the men and women wouldn't pay attention to her even if she said those words out loud. She was a child in their views – insignificant to those of the older generation who were nothing to do with her, and never would be. Her opinion on things wasn't important. To them, she was too young to be taken seriously.

It wasn't particularly important that Maleen knew who this man was. She had seen tons of men in the past – there was a possibility that it had just been some sailor from Port Royal that she had heard or seen before; nothing special.

But that wouldn't explain why Simon had been angry with him. Simon wasn't one to just suddenly go into a fierce rage without warming – you had to provoke him to begin with; give him a _reason_ to punch you into the dirt.

So what was the reason for this situation? From what she had gathered, Maleen believed that the two of them had met before. So something in the past must have been what had caused it...and Simon had mentioned something about that man being the reason why he had been taken away, so...

There was only one explanation that Maleen could come up with, and it made sense on all levels. It was the only thing that she could think of that fit into the situation.

Simon had made it clear, when Maleen had asked about it, that he hadn't been happy with the people who had turned him in – and rightly so, too. They were the reason that he had been taken to jail and been charged with associating with a pirate. They were the reason why he had been taken away from Martina for so long. They were the reason why he had gotten angry.

And – who knew? – Maybe one of those people had been someone Maleen had come across in the past; that would explain why she had recognised him. Maybe she had seen some man on the shores of Port Royal, and he had been one of the men that had betrayed Simon...

But it wasn't really important now. She had figured it out simply, and that was all that was needed – a simple explanation that would satisfy her curiosity for the time being. Right now, she had to find out what she was going to do from now on. Maleen had to organise where she was heading next and how she was going to ask people whether or not they had seen her father. She always had her locket; but that was valuable and a sentimental item to her, that she preferred not to get out from under her shirt in public. She much preferred to keep it hidden from others that she didn't know too well – others that may plot to take it away from her because of its worth. And who was to know how far they might plan on going in order to get it from her? Who would notice if a girl like her suddenly disappeared and was never seen again? No one would go looking for her; no one would probably even remember her arriving at Tortuga – plus, they had no connections to her; why should they care?

So, yes, she definitely needed to keep it hidden – for her own safety – so she would need to figure out how to describe him well enough. Luckily, most people seemed to know about him some way or another – whether it be good or bad, was another matter – so, hopefully, there wouldn't be much need for portraying his looks.

Maleen turned to see whether or not Jozan was still up close to her and was relieved to see that he was a few paces behind. But it wasn't enough yet. She needed a clear escape route if she was going to get away from him and not be seen – else he'd follow and catch up with her, no trouble.

She looked down to check that Fido was still by her feet before glancing around the room swiftly; looking for a way out. And, just her luck, there was one – a direct route from where she was standing to the door.

She only had seconds to react.

Without even checking to see if Jozan had spotted her, or if Fido was following, she sprinted through the small and narrowing gap in the numerous bodies around her and headed for the door. She had to squeeze past a few people as she neared her exit, and had to look behind her to check whether or not Jozan had caught up, but, just as he spotted her, those in her way moved and she rushed out into the open street.

Without thinking she ran round the nearest corner, and lunged to take cover behind a few men who were standing and talking to each other. They looked down at her in confusion as she crouched behind their tailored clothes, clutching on to one of the men's arms so she could move it in front of her if Jozan looked her way.

She watched, ignoring the men's strange looks, as Jozan appeared at the end of the street – just a few feet away from her.

Maleen held her breath, grasping the material before her in panic as she prayed that Jozan wouldn't notice her. She watched him peer down the street in all directions – looking closely for any signs of Maleen, no doubt – narrowing his eyes as if he were squinting from the sun.

He took a few steps in the direction of the group of men – who were now trying to edge further away from Maleen's grasp; even though she wasn't going to let go even if they paid her – and Maleen froze.

'_Oh no, he's spotted me,_' She thought, dreading what would happen when he confronted her, '_what should I say? "I ran away from you because you're annoying and I don't like you"? That wouldn't go down well at all. I may not like him, but he seems to like me, so I don't want to hurt his feelings to badly..._'

Her thoughts froze in place as Jozan stopped in his tracks – having second thoughts about his idea to come over and ask the men whether they had seen the girl he was looking for. They looked okay, but there was a possibility that they were dangerous – like many others on the island were at this time of night.

Jozan retreated backwards round the corner he had just appeared from and vanished back inside The Sword & The Skull, much to Maleen's relief. She let out the breath she had been holding in and stood up; apologising to the men that she had startled with her peculiar behaviour.

The men nodded; a strange expression on their faces as they edged away from her, and Maleen nodded once as a reply – a goodbye gesture, she supposed.

But, just when the group of men – who were obviously very nice people who didn't like to get involved with anybody else's business - had moved a few feet away and were deep in conversation again, Maleen had a thought.

Composing herself, and internally telling herself to act a little more...predictable, she headed back over to the group of gentlemen.

"Excuse me," She said, in a polite tone, "I'm sorry for interrupting –"

"Again," One of the men who had a droopy moustache interjected.

"Yes; again," Maleen agreed, "but I was just wondering whether you had heard of a man called Jack Sparrow?"

"Oh yes, I've been told about him," Another man who was wearing a black top hat said, "I've been told that he's been flirting with that girl, Scarlett..."

"Again? No; I was told it was that other woman...oh, what was her name...?"

"Gabrielle?"

"No, but it began with a 'G'..."

"Giselle?"

"I think know who you mean; the blonde one?"

"Yes, that's her –"

"I'm sorry to interrupt -" Maleen said, trying to keep her annoyance under control.

"For a third time," Murmured the man with the droopy moustache, rolling his eyes.

Maleen grumbled at him, but carried on as if he hadn't spoken, "but I really need to know where Jack Sparrow is. It's important. I...have to speak to him about something. So, do you know where he is, or not?"

Her voice was becoming desperate and a few of the men seemed to be looking quite sorry for her. The man wearing the hat seemed most distressed indeed.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss," He said, "but I'm afraid I've never met the man. There are a few stories going around about him, but I could never tell you where he was..."

"I don't think any of us could," Said another; he wore a top hat and a bow tie, making him look very smart for such a late time of night, "he travels around a lot, you see. He's never in the same place for very long..."

"It's because he's a wanted man, I suppose," Said the one with just a hat, "The whole Royal Navy is after his head...but I really am sorry, miss; we can't help you."

He looked at her as if he wished he could help – as if he would do anything he could to help her, if he knew the information.

Maleen got the impression that he was a nice man to be around. He was kind and caring and liked to help people – but in this case he really could do nothing.

"Well...thank you, any way," Maleen said with a small smile, and nodded towards the man with the hat. He smiled back at her kindly – a smile that reminded Maleen of the way Martina smiled – and she turned to leave.

"Miss?" he called after her. Maleen span back to face him; waiting for him to speak, "if we do spot him – Jack, that is, - we'll let you know."

"Thank you," Maleen smiled, and this time when she turned, she left.

She tried not to look back when she walked away, but it was hard for her. Those men had been so nice to her, but had been unable to help...but what had she been expecting, anyway?

It was nearly impossible for her to just waltz up to any old stranger, ask where her father was and get the true and direct answer. She had been told by a few people, now, that her father never stayed in the same place for long. Captain Jack Sparrow was one man that was incredibly difficult to follow.

And, if they had had some idea, it still might not be the right one. Most people had heard of her father, but there were so many stories it was difficult to keep track. Maleen had heard numerous tales over the years – and most of them she hadn't believed were true until a few days ago, when she had come across a few monsters of her own.

So where could he be? There was no way of knowing. Even if she asked everyone on the island, it would probably end up with her being exactly where she started – clueless.

Because everyone would have a different story – a different tale to tell. Everyone would have different views of her father because of what they had seen or heard of him. Nothing would do any good, unless they had seen him in the last couple of hours - but nobody would have done. If so, they whole island would know about it...wouldn't they?

Maleen sighed as her feet took her down whatever streets they felt like. She wasn't really paying any attention as to where she was heading – she was just watching out for things that she might bump into if she wasn't careful; and making a fool of herself had never been something she liked to do.

Another deep sigh heaved itself from her chest, without Maleen's say so. She couldn't help it. In her sorrowful mood she wasn't bothered by it, either. There were just too many other things to think about.

She had been abandoned; left with no one but Fido, who was still trotting by her feet obediently, even though Maleen had nearly forgotten about him. The realisation of it made her feel guilty inside. Fido would stick by her, even if she didn't want him too. And if she sent him away – even though Maleen knew she would never do that to Fido of all creatures – he probably wouldn't leave her completely. He'd find a way to follow her around without being noticed; ready to gain his place at her side once again whenever he could.

She smiled – a small, kind, smile – at nothing in particular, as she turned round a corner, down a dark street. She had no idea what time it was now, but the clouds had cleared; and the moon and stars lit her way down the eerie alley.

Maleen glanced up to see those stars that she loved so much, for a reason she didn't fully understand. It made something inside her feel a little more uplifted – happier; making the bad things seem a little less bad – but only by a little bit. There was still that emptiness in the pit of her stomach; the loneliness that she dreaded.

But there was no way to avoid that. Maleen knew she was alone now. She was back to how she had been before beginning her journey at all; with only a dog for company. It was probably the fact she had gotten used to someone's constant, if not annoying, company in the past few days, that it had been such a shock to her system.

'_Never mind,_' She thought, spotting a group of young men a few feet away, '_I'll just ask them._'

There were three of them and each had fairly different characteristics. Maleen studied them closely before going up to them – they looked like fairly nice young chaps. And, if they were anything like those other gentlemen that Maleen had come across, she might get a decent conversation out of them.

There was one that was taller than the others who had light brown hair, pulled back into a ponytail. The second was blonde, and rounder than the other two, with an eye patch over one eye. And the third was the shortest, even though Maleen presumed he was the elder of the three. He had no hair at all and a rather off putting tattoo had been sketched into his skull. There was nothing specific that Maleen could pick out from it; it was just jagged shapes, similar to fire.

As she made her way towards them – a little more confident than necessary – one of the men looked up and spotted Maleen. He nudged his friends that were standing next to him and they both turned to see was he was talking about. Maleen felt a little sheepish as she stood in front of them; they were taller than she had thought they were.

"Excuse me, but do you think you could help me?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

The tallest man grinned, revealing blackened teeth, "Help you with what, dear missy?"

The others grinned to, showing off that they all had the same kind of foul teeth – black, rotting. The third man, with the tattoo had a few of his missing.

"I'm looking for a man," Maleen answered.

"Well take your pick, there's three of us here," laughed the blonde, bringing a bottle out of nowhere and taking a swig from it.

"I mean, a specific man," Maleen answered, smiling slightly at the blonde's joke even though she didn't find it particularly funny.

"Oh, and who may that be?"

Maleen paused slightly before answering, "Do you know the whereabouts of Jack Sparrow?"

"Ha!" Laughed the tattooed one; his face scrunching up in disgust, "you'd better not be wasting our time, little miss. Everyone knows that Mr Sparrow is impossible to trace."

"Gregg's right," Grunted the blonde, "I've heard he's never stayed in the same place for any more than three days."

The other man wasn't paying attention to the little argument that was going on before him. He was looking down at Maleen from his great height; studying her closely. Maleen looked back at him, feeling confused and embarrassed by his everlasting stare. In the end she had to look away.

"What is it, Curtis?" Asked Gregg, seeing that his friend was looking so intently at Maleen, "you seen this one before?"

"No, no," Curtis replied, still eyeing Maleen from his great height, "You know I never let a job go just like that. I was just wondering...what's on that chain you're wearing around your neck?"

There was a daunting smile from the other two when Curtis asked the question. Maleen found it unnerving as she looked from one face to another.

"It's a locket," Maleen answered quickly, trying to keep the details to a minimum, "I've got a portrait of my father inside it."

"And...It's made of silver, is it?" Asked the blonde; his eyes sparkling in anticipation.

"Yes," Maleen said carefully, "what's it to you?"

Another flash of rotting teeth; "Oh, nothing, really," Said Curtis, "just...me and my mates, here...we like silver."

A low chuckle seeped through Gregg's lips, but Maleen didn't turn to look at him. She was frozen in place; her limbs refusing to move and reach for her sword. She had never killed a man before, only lizards, and her fingers seemed to be preventing her from even creating the possibility of ending someone's life now.

If she didn't grab for her weapon soon, she would be the only one that would never move again.

"Let's see..." Said Gregg; rubbing his chin with one hand while slipping the other into his Jacket pocket and bringing out a knife, "should we do this the easy way, or the hard way? What do you think, Curt?"

"How about we ask our little missy, here?" Curtis replied, "after all, it is her life on the line; not ours."

"It's never ours though, is it?" Gregg said, smiling in a revolting manor, "these children never seem to be able to fight back."

Maleen wanted to scream that she wasn't a child and that she could fight for her life if she needed to. But that was a lie. Because she needed to fight for her life at that moment; and her fingers were still refusing to grab her sword.

"So, dear miss," began Gregg, holding up his knife so Maleen could see, "what will it be?"

Maleen didn't answer. She found her mouth was dry and all she could do was swallow. The fear inside of her was just too great. Her muscles were tense, but unable to do what her mind was screaming at them.

There was a low chuckle as all three of them smiled. Maleen still couldn't move when they took the first step.

Advancing on her.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20**

Trapped

Maleen stared into each of their eyes; fear building up in her own.

She was trapped.

The three men had managed to get her to back up against the wall of a building and now they were advancing on her as if they were some kind of wild cat stalking its prey.

Maleen felt like a lost child again; except this time she was in real danger.

But she knew it would do no good calling to her mother or father – because they weren't around.

She was alone.

When the thought struck her, Maleen's thoughts made her turn immediately to Fido. He was being so quiet recently that she was having difficulty remembering about him. But he wasn't going to be much help. The dog was quivering against the wall, just like Maleen was – his brown eyes wide with fear as he tried to figure out an escape route.

There was none, of course. There were three thugs in front of them and if Maleen tried to make a run for it, one of them would notice. She was who they were after – Fido could run and save himself if he wanted to.

But, obviously, he was too stupid to do something like that. He'd never leave Maleen standing by herself. If Fido was the only family Maleen had, then he had no one else but her either.

Finally, Maleen felt her muscles were able to move. She felt a surge of power pulse through her veins as her adrenaline rush finally kicked in. She had been waiting for it to come, but had been severely disappointed when it hadn't. Now she knew the secret.

She had to have a reason to need it.

To begin with it had just been her life on the line – Maleen, someone that nobody really knew about, and so therefore, wouldn't really care about either. It had just been her; alone, with no one else around her, no one to protect her, look after her, love her. And she had no one to love in return. She was practically an orphan until her father was found – and that could take years.

So her subconscious had just presumed that there was no point in fighting. She had supposed that there was no real reason to stay alive, and so therefore hadn't let her reach for the sword at her belt.

But then she had thought of Fido.

Dearest Fido who had stuck by her for so long...Fido, who had been there for her after her mother's death – been nothing more than something to hold on to; something to love and cherish. But it had been enough. It had been comfort.

And who would look after him if she were no longer around? He wasn't very old and probably had no idea how to fend for himself.

If Maleen let this happen, Fido would be the one to suffer.

Fido would be the one who really was alone.

And so, Maleen reached for her sword.

She did it quickly, efficiently, and lashed out with it as soon as she got a good grip on the handle. She pictured it slicing the skin of one of them men who were about to attack her; smearing blood across the blade. She imagined hearing a grunt of pain and then a roar of anger that she would be prepared for – prepared to knock whoever came running at her to the ground.

But that didn't happen.

Instead of making no louder a sound than a swish as it flew through the air, her sword made a horrible clang and then a screeching of metal-on-metal.

"Nice move, missy," Gregg hissed in her face; his foul breath forcing her to stifle a gag, "but not nice enough."

Maleen's eyes widened but she wasn't quick enough to dodge the blow to the stomach she got; making her double over in pain, instinctively.

Her reactions were to slow to stop the hands that flew out at her; grabbing at her arms and knocking the sword from her hand.

And she was just too weak to get away from the men when Curtis yanked her hair back, exposing her throat.

"Got anything else we might want, missy?" He laughed, looking into her face to see if she would give them any kind of clue.

She couldn't help it when her eyes flicked down for no more than a second to the cloth bag that was still hanging at her belt.

"What's this, then?" He asked to no one in particular, as he pulled the bag from her and looked inside. He smiled at what he saw and began to laugh hideously, "Well, well, well; lookey here at what our little miss had brought for us."

"Let it go," Maleen hissed through clenched teeth as she tried to stop herself from screaming, "That's not yours and neither is my locket."

Gregg paused for a short moment before looking back up at Maleen.

"I think you're forgetting," He said, forcing her to look directly into his eyes, "that you are not the one who had power here." He flicked his fingers and Curtis yanked on Maleen's hair even harder than before, making her yell out in pain, "Now, be a good girl and keep your trap shut."

Gregg clicked his finger again, but this time waved them in the blonde man's direction. Maleen had gathered that he was the least important of the three and that they had a clear class system between them. Gregg was the leader, Curt was the more reliable one, and the blonde...well; he was just an added group member.

"Tie it properly this time," Gregg ordered, examining the amulet that he held in his hand, "after what happened last week, I'd count yourself lucky you still have your other eye."

The blonde nodded his head vigorously as he brought out some thin rope from his belt. Maleen watched him closely as he tied her hands behind her back – she saw no point to it; it wasn't as if she could run away and leave her hair behind.

"Make sure she's not going to go anywhere at all," Gregg said, looking up at Maleen with an evil glare. His voice became low and menacing and it terrified Maleen to her very core, "the more she struggles, the more painful this will be."

Maleen gulped and watched as Gregg twined the chain in his fingers so he wouldn't drop the amulet, and brought out his knife again. The others did the same. Curtis held his to Maleen's throat.

Maleen felt tears threatening to fall, but she bit her lip in order to hold them back. No way was she going to go out like some baby who hadn't even tried.

'_I have tried,_' She thought, looking over at her sword that had crashed to the floor a few feet away, '_and even though I've failed I'll be proud of what I've done...even if Fido is left alone and I never seen my father again..._'

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" Maleen asked, looking a Gregg in particular, "you're going to take what you want from me, and then end it, right?"

"I thought I told you not to talk," Gregg grumbled; Curtis yanked on Maleen's hair again, making her yelp, "but, yes. We are going to kill you – any last words?"

"No," Maleen answered, thinking hard and breathing heavily, "not really, but...could you pass on a message to my father, if you see him?"

"Depends on who your father is and what the message is."

"Jack Sparrow. I want you to tell him I was looking for him and –"

There was a snarl from Maleen's right.

Everyone turned to look, even though Curtis still kept a firm grip on Maleen's glossy black hair. Maleen was surprised at what she saw – even more than the other three.

It had happened once before – and even that memory was vague – but Maleen knew what was happening and was incredibly touched by it.

Because what they saw – what had snarled, and what was crouched on the floor, ready to pounce – was Fido.

He wasn't ready to give up on Maleen just yet.

She couldn't help but beam to see him there – even though he was looking quite terrifying. Even with the tears of pain running down her cheeks, her lips managed to curve up into a small smile.

His first victim was no doubt the man who was causing all of Maleen's pain – the one that was holding her by the hair – but there wasn't a clear shot for him to take. There was a risk of getting Maleen hurt if he lunged for the tallest one.

The blonde seemed the easiest to take down, though. If Fido got him out of the way first, everything else would be a little easier...

Fido pounced.

Maleen watched him as he leaped into the air; snarling from somewhere deep inside his chest. His upper lip seemed to have curled back, revealing his canine teeth; something that was terrifying in itself.

He was heading for the blonde one – the one that wasn't as important as the other two seemed to be – and the poor man didn't know what was happening when Fido sank his teeth into his leg.

There was a yelp of pain from the man as he tried to yank Fido away. He grasped at the dogs fur, pushing it with all his might so he could try to get Fido's jaws to pry open and release his leg.

Maleen watched with difficulty, because every time she moved to try and see what was going on, Curtis yanked at her hair again making her grit her teeth and stand still.

There was another yelp, but this one didn't sound quite human. This yelp came from somewhere lower down, too – closer to the ground.

Maleen managed to move her head slightly to see what was happening, but afterwards wished she hadn't.

Gregg was standing over Fido, growling in his own way, as the poor dog that Maleen loved struggled to scamper off to safety. Her eyes filled with more tears as she watched Gregg kick with all his might at the canine thing in front of him.

"Stop!" She yelled, kicking at Curtis and the blonde in order to help Fido, "Please! Please, just leave him alone!"

Gregg continued to beat the dog and Maleen struggled to help him. She yanked away from Curtis's grasp in her hair – ignoring the pain it caused her with all her might – and make an effort to get to Fido.

She managed no more than two steps before Gregg turned and tripped her up.

Maleen crashed to the ground, her chin grazing the cobbled floor as she was unable to move her hands to break the fall. Her teeth bit down on her tongue, too, and flood began to fill her mouth and trickle down her chin. She spat it out in disgust before rolling over to kick away the hands that were still trying to grab at her.

'_At least he's left Fido alone, now_,' Maleen thought, risking a swift glance in his direction. He was lying on the ground looking beaten and worn out, '_And at least he tried..._'

But Maleen wasn't giving up just yet. If she was going to go out, she was making sure she went out with a bang; leaving nothing for those thugs left to torture her with. She's fight to the death, if it was necessary...but that was easier said than done...

The fear was still inside her, the tears were still rolling down her cheeks. She knew she was scared, but she knew she couldn't afford to show it. They'd take that to their advantage and only frighten her more. And then it really would be over.

Curtis grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled Maleen to her feet. She kept on thrashing and trying to get away, but the rope that was tied around her hands prevented her from doing much damage. She was soon in the previous position she had been before – Curtis gripping her hair with his rough fingers, his knife at her throat.

"Hold still you little rat," Gregg hissed, turning so he was square in front of her, "I haven't got time for you now after your pathetic attempt of an escape."

Gregg nodded to Curtis and he flicked his knife away into his pocket.

"Night night, little miss," He whispered, holding his pistol up to her temple, "sweet dreams."

Maleen stared into his evil eyes, more tears spilling down her cheeks.

'_It's over,_' She thought, '_It really is over..._'

She closed her eyes and braced herself for the sharp pain of when Gregg pulled the trigger.

'_I'm sorry I've disappointed you, mother,_' Maleen thought, holding her breath, '_I'm sorry..._'

A pistol shot sounded.

And Maleen felt weak.

Jozan wandered aimlessly through the streets.

He was looking for the girl – the girl he had seen in the bar; the one with the shoulder length black hair and blue eyes.

Jozan didn't know where she had gone after the fight that had occurred. She had been standing there at one point – right in front of her, watching the crowd go back to whatever they had been doing beforehand – and the next minute when he had turned for just an instant, she had vanished. The last glimpse he had seen of her, she had been running through the door of The Sword & The Skull with her loyal dog trotting behind her.

But why had she run away from him?

'_I knew I shouldn't have acted the way I did before,_' Jozan thought as he glanced around another corner, '_I _knew _it would give her a bad impression._ _So why did I do it...?_'

Because he had been nervous, that's why – as he was when meeting any one new. He'd never been good at introducing himself, but he had never acted like that before...

That didn't matter now, because what was done, was done. There was no way he could go back in time and erase it – go up and greet her like any other person would. If it were possible, he'd certainly give it a go, but that _wasn't_ possible. It was too late.

Jozan turned down another street and began to feel that it was hopeless.

He was searching for a girl he had met no more than an hour before. He knew nothing about her, apart from that she had a dog with her called Fido...

Why was he looking for her anyway? There was no real point to it. He'd seen her, talked to her and was now..._following_ her? That wasn't like him...

But he was intrigued by her; that was for sure. He'd never met another person that could stick up for themselves as well as she had. She's made it clear as soon as he was being unreasonable with her, that she didn't like to mess about...

Why had he scared her away? There was no way he could find her now. What would he say if he asked someone about her – have you seen a girl with a dog? No, no one would be able to pick her out in this place...and Jozan wouldn't dream of talking to anyone he didn't know out here. H knew what it was like.

It was dangerous.

But, how else was he supposed to find her? Wait until morning and then go around asking strangers? She could be anywhere by that time...

So that was pointless to. Maybe looking for the girl was just pointless altogether. Maybe she didn't _want_ to be found – that was why she had run away from him, wasn't it? He'd been far to self confident for no reason he could think of and...

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of nearby voices.

"Stop!" A voice yelled; a voice that Jozan thought he recognised, "Please! Please, just leave him alone!"

There was the sound of a boot kicking something soft and the yelp of whatever it was.

'_A dog..._'

A small cry of pain. Someone trying to run.

'_And a girl..._'

The crash as that someone hit the ground.

Jozan didn't stop to think about what he was about to do.

He just ran.

He followed the voice frantically, trying to find where they were coming from. All of his thoughts were focused on the girl.

He had no idea why, but he had to save her.

If it was the girl he was thinking about, Jozan knew that he _had_ to save her. He didn't understand why, but his mind was telling him to run – run and save the girl from whatever was happening to her.

There was a small sob of someone crying and a rough struggle of clothing and hands. Jozan's head began to fill with pictures that he didn't want to see. Pictures of blood and horror. Pictures that he had seen before – that he'd come across by accident.

"Hold still you little rat," A voice hissed, as Jozan turned around a corner and down an alley, "I haven't got time for you now after your pathetic attempt of escape."

Jozan stood, shocked, as he took in the scene before him. He couldn't see much except the whimpering dog before him and the back of a bald-headed man.

Jozan pressed his back up against the nearest wall, hiding himself in the shadows. The moonlight was beaming down on the scene in front of him, so he still had a good view, but – if he was lucky – the men wouldn't see him if they looked his way.

Jozan knew he only had one shot at this. And if he got even the slightest bit wrong, none of them would escape.

The girl would die.

He would die.

And that would be the end of it.

"Night night, little miss," The man whispered, as he placed a pistol to the girl's temple. They had moved slightly now and Jozan could see the girl's face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her lower lip trembling ever so slightly. Jozan felt something tug at his core, but he knew he had to ignore that for now.

He needed to save her.

"Sweet dreams," the man finished off, pulling down the hammer of the pistol he held in his hand.

And Jozan did the same.

As the girl closed her eyes, Jozan pulled the gun from his own belt and pulled the hammed back, loading the pistol.

He'd never shot another man in his life, but this was something that could be ignored for now. This man before him deserved to die. He was mocking an innocent girl for no apparent reason.

Jozan pulled the trigger.

He didn't wait to watch the man fall to the ground – there was no time for that – as soon as the others realised there was another presence, they'd be alert to and armed, no doubt. So, as soon as he had fired the shot, Jozan grabbed the knife that he had been carrying and prepared to take down his next victim.

The tall man who had been holding Maleen by the hair, let go of her for a moment as she looked around frantically at what was going on. Her eyes had fluttered open, the tears no longer spilling from underneath her long black lashes. Her blue eyes were looking at Jozan as he rushed towards the blonde and rammed the knife into him; not looking where it went. He was unaware of her gaze until he turned towards her.

It wasn't the kind of admiration-filled gaze that Jozan would have expected from a girl in her position. Instead, she was looking at him sternly, saying thank you and sorry at the same time using just her eyes.

He wanted to stop and talk to her, tell her everything was under control, but he knew he couldn't stop just yet. There would be time for conversation later, when they were safe.

He turned towards the final man – the tall one with the ponytail of brown hair. This was the last one that he could see, but Jozan thought he would still need to stay aware, just in case there were more of them a short distance away.

Jozan finished him off easily. The man was hardly armed; carrying only a small knife which was useless against Jozan's sword. If only his father had been a blacksmith too –then he'd have a proper sword for protecting himself.

Jozan removed his sword from the man's stomach and watched him fall to the ground. His eyes were still open in that mask of alert.

But that was it. They were safe.

He had done it.

Panting for breath slightly and with his sword still ready for a fight, Jozan went up to the girl who was now kneeling on the floor, looking at the destruction that had been caused in no more than a few minutes. He cut the rope that had tied her hands behind her back with his sword, before putting it back into its scabbard.

"Are you alright?" he asked, touching a hand to her shoulder lightly.

He got no reply to begin with. The girl just knelt there, looking at the scene before her with those stern blue eyes as she tried to make sense of what she had just seen...

And then Jozan watched as she stood slowly and turned to face him.

"Thank you," She said quietly, almost uncertainly. And then, a little louder, "Thanks."

She stood for a moment, looking at him, before he turned and removed the knife from the man's heart.

"Why did you save me?" She finally asked, as Jozan wiped the blood of his dagger onto the dead man's shirt.

Jozan sat, crouched, for a moment, as he tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't sound strange. He paused to long to make up a lie that would sound witty, and decided to tell her the truth.

"I'm not sure," He answered in a quiet voice, sliding the knife back into his belt, "I heard you and...I didn't think about what I was doing. I just...did it."

There was a short moment of silence as the girl watched Jozan intently with her blue eyes. She then moved over to the dog and checked he was alright. His brown eyes looked up at her and he lifted his head as she fussed him behind the ear. She smiled at the dog, almost in relief, before standing again.

"I'm Maleen," She finally said, as Jozan stood and turned to look at her, "Maleen Sparrow."

'_Maleen..._' Jozan thought, testing the name, '_hmm..._'

Maleen watched Jozan as he nodded; his hair falling over his face slightly in the process, as if he wanted to hide himself.

"So, will you stop bugging me now?" She asked him, back to her old self again now that the shock had fully passed, "Now that you know my name?"

Jozan laughed, "Yes, I suppose I could, but why would I do that?"

Maleen gave him a quick, false smile. She could come up with no other response that sounded smart or witty.

"So, where are we going now?" Jozan asked, as he turned away; heading out of the alley and into the street again. Maleen took the advantage and bent down to pick up the amulet that Gregg had dropped when Jozan shot him. She swiftly tucked it back into her pocket, forgetting the cloth bag that Gregg had discarded before.

"'We'?" She questioned,

"Yes, 'we'; I presume from what has happened previously this evening" – Jozan indicated back the way they had come to the men that had been threatening – "that you will be in need of protection."

"Protection?" Maleen laughed, "You think _I_ need protecting?"

Jozan raised his eyebrows, "I'll use my 'what happened earlier' excuse one more time." He said.

Maleen narrowed her eyes at him.

'_Now I remember why I ran away from him,_' She thought.

"Fine, you can come with me, but I think you should know that I'm not here just for the fun of it."

"You're not?"

"No, why would I be? What would I want from here? I'm here because I'm looking for someone."

"Who?"

"My father; Jack Sparrow – and if you have anything bad to say about him, don't bother. I'm sick of hearing it."

"I've never heard of him," Jozan replied, truthfully; and somehow this made Maleen feel extremely relieved inside, "why would I want to say something bad about him?"

"Everyone else I've met seems to think he's some kind of scoundrel," Maleen sighed, "...So? Are you going to help me or would you rather stay here?"

"I'll help," Jozan answered, with a short pause before hand, "But I'm going to have to ask you for something in return."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure now, but I'll think of something." Jozan replied. Maleen didn't like the way he said it – it was as if he already knew what he wanted, but he didn't want to tell her, "How are you planning on getting away from this island, then?"

"We," Maleen corrected, "are going to either make a deal with a captain of a ship here, or stow away on one. And don't look surprised – I've gotten used to living like this now. I own practically nothing and have done for the past four years. If you're coming with me, get used to it yourself – if you can't, stay here. Because that's how it's going to be. I don't have time for you to argue with me."

Jozan was taken aback slightly. He had gathered from when he first seen Maleen that she was a little rough, but had never expected her to be quite so...able to stand up for herself. He'd never come across another girl like her.

"Yes, ma'am," He laughed.

Maleen thumped him on the arm; then laughed herself.

'_I must be mad,_' Maleen thought as they made their way to the dock, '_I can't believe I'm doing this...but he's not going to leave me alone, so he might as well be of use..._'


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21**

Sarah

They reached the dock in no time at all.

Jozan had managed to keep the conversation going all the while and Maleen realised that she was the stronger minded of the two of them. She was the one who was more adventurous and more confident – Jozan, on the other hand, was a little quieter.

The dark streets were now much quieter than they had been before. The pubs seemed to be closing down for the night, – or was it early morning? – and the crowds were beginning to stagger off in different directions back to their homes. The stars were still visible in the dark sky, but Maleen had a feeling that morning was only a couple of hours away.

"My mother died when I was fairly young due to illness," Jozan had said as they made their way to the dock, "leaving my father to raise me and teach me how to live. He was a blacksmith, you see, and he's been teaching me the trade for as long as I can remember – even though, before hand, I was a little too young to do anything more than observe."

"Has he taught it to you now?" Maleen asked; picturing a smaller, more fragile version of Jozan sitting in a workshop and watching his father heat and hammer various pieces of metal.

"Not really, no," Jozan answered, "Recently he's met another woman – Amelia – and he hasn't been paying much attention to me. If I'm really honest, I've not been spending much time with him either; I prefer to stay out the house when she's around; and recently, that's been all the time."

"Hasn't he been worried about you?" Maleen asked, "Don't you think you'd better go back and tell him that you're okay?"

"If he cared, don't you think he would have already come out looking for me?" He questioned, "Because, before he met Amelia, he would have done. He used to spend all of his spare time in the workshop – with me. But now that Amy's arrived on the scene it seems I've been pushed to the bottom of the pile."

"Who's Amy?"

"Dad's pet name for Amelia," Jozan said scornfully; his face showing clearly that he hated the fact, "It's stupid, really – it's like somebody calling you 'May'."

Maleen shrugged in agreement – she didn't like being called May. She never had been, and she hoped she never would be.

"So, you don't want to tell your father that you're coming with me?" She asked him; trying to give him the opportunity as indirectly as she could.

"He wouldn't listen..." Jozan answered in a mutter, whilst looking down at the cobbled street below him. There was a short moment of silence that seemed to stretch on for longer than the three seconds that it actually was.

"What makes you so sure?" Maleen asked.

There was a small snigger that came from Jozan. It seemed dark and mysterious – like he didn't really find it funny; he found it saddening and couldn't think of any other way to hold back the sadness.

"Because that's what Amelia's been doing," He said, scuffing his black boots across the ground, "She's been making everything about her – _all_ about her. No one else matters, apparently. She always complains that dad can't afford to buy her anything nice – making a big deal out of nothing. So now _she_ goes and watches him in the workshop; pushes me out the door because I'll 'break something'."

He sighed deeply and looked ahead again, rather than at his dusty boots. Maleen felt that she should do something – comfort him in some way – but couldn't think of anything to say or do. If it had been Simon she would have told him that it was alright and that he had better things to look forward to; but, then again, she knew Simon better than she did Jozan. He and Maleen had met...two hours before? She didn't know how long it had been, but what was for certain was that she knew little about the stranger that was stood next to her.

Jozan fussed Fido behind the ear as he trotted over to his side; matching his pace with Jozan's and rubbing his golden fur against him. Maleen would have felt jealous, usually, but in the situation she could see that Fido was giving Jozan what little comfort he needed in order to calm down. Maleen felt relieved that the duty wasn't hers this time.

"I guess it's alright though," Jozan finally said, quietly, as he pushed Fido's head away softly; giving the message that he didn't want Fido's attention anymore, "I don't need them anymore. I practically live anywhere but in the house I grew up in; it seems that Amelia's already moved in on her own accord. I don't mind though; I got a part time job at The Sword & The Skull, cleaning tables and so on – I'd just finished my shift when you and your friends showed up..."

"Simon and Martina," Maleen interjected.

"Yeah, they seemed nice," He said, "but they buggered off pretty quickly, didn't they?"

"It's like your father and that Amelia girl," Maleen explained, "I met Simon and he agreed to help me look for my father just as you did, but he said he wanted to make a side trip first and before I know it they pronounce that they're running away together – tonight – to get married."

"Hurts, don't it?"

"Mmm hmm."

"The fight was pretty cool though, don't you think?"

Maleen smiled, "I have to say, I never would have expected Simon to get involved in something like that. He was usually quite calm when I was with him."

"He looked like he'd had practice being angry before," Jozan said; making it clear that he had seen a number of fights before, "I mean; it was as if he'd planned the whole thing beforehand and then just waited for the right guy to come along."

"Did you see what he looked like?" Maleen asked, suddenly remembering how intrigued she had been about who the other man had been.

"Simon or –"

"The other one; the one he punched."

"No, not really," Jozan replied. Maleen felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, "I saw he had dark hair, but that was about it. Everyone crowded round him, so..."

"Yeah, I know...It's alright though. I wasn't exactly desperate."

Jozan smiled and looked down again, but this time a small glint caught his eye. It was pure luck, that a beam of light from one of the open windows of the closing pubs would make its way to the object in Maleen's pocket.

He was amazed at what he saw.

As the light reflected – just for a split second – it shone onto Jozan's shirt; a magnificent, warm colour of light. It caught his attention, as it would with anyone else as well, and he instinctively looked to where it had come from.

In Maleen's pocket, just peeking out from behind the fabric, was a piece of gold.

He had no idea what shape it was, how heavy it was or where it had come from, but Jozan didn't care.

It was _gold_.

He had never been one to pickpocket or steal, but recently Jozan had had little money to get anywhere with. The only amount he got was from working at The Sword & The Skull, and a couple of shillings a week wasn't really enough to keep himself alive.

And somewhere inside his mind a small voice was telling him that what he was thinking was wrong.

But he wasn't listening to that voice; it was blocked out by the other voice – the louder, more dominant ones that were telling him something different entirely.

'_Steal..._'

The more he tried not to think about those voices – tried to block them out of his head and think of something else – the louder they seemed to get. They seemed to becoming more urgent, too; impatient.

The harder he tried the more and more influenced he became; the more he wanted to reach out and take the gold object that was hidden in Maleen's pocket...

And he came to a decision.

He would steal it.

But now wasn't the right time – no, not at all. If he was going to take it from Maleen, then he needed a clear shot in order to do it. If she noticed, he'd be a dead man.

And that was the end of it.

'_But why would that be so bad?_' Jozan wondered, diverting his gaze from the shiny object so Maleen wouldn't get suspicious, '_I hardly know her; why would it matter if she sent me away? I'm not desperate to go on this trip of hers with her..._'

It confused him for a short while.

Even though he wanted whatever it was that Maleen had, he couldn't bring himself to get caught in the act. In fact, a part of Jozan could hardly believe he was even planning on stealing the pretty object from the girl. But he did need the money and he wanted the wealth for himself as he doubted Maleen would be willing to share whatever it was worth – if she was planning on selling it at all that is.

But that small part of him – that piece that was refusing to be persuaded and wanted Jozan to leave whatever it was alone – caught his attention more than the rest. He couldn't understand why he would want to stay on good terms with Maleen; they hardly knew each other...

It was just a small feeling. But as Jozan thought about it, it seemed to grow bigger inside of him. He was so compelled to understand why he didn't want to upset Maleen that nothing else seemed to matter. So much so, that he forgot about the amulet for a short moment.

He was concentrating on her; studying her with his dark eyes. Taking in every detail and trying to figure out what it was that stopped him from ripping the trinket from Maleen's pocket that instant...

Jozan looked at her glossy black hair that reminded him of a cat; each strand coming down to her shoulders and down her back. It flowed behind her with the slight breeze that had soon appeared as if from nowhere; being brushed away from her face.

And her eyes; a crystal clear blue that was only a few shades darker than the sky on a cloudless day. They twinkled in a way that Jozan had never seen before – shining in wonder and childish curiosity. They were framed with thick lashes that curved perfectly – surrounding the wonder and innocence that was hidden within those eyes...

Jozan had to look away.

He was confused even further now. Maleen was a friend of his – maybe not even that – but he had never thought of someone in the way he had done just. There had also been that moment in The Sword & The Skull; when their eyes had met, but that had done nothing more than made him intrigued and confused at once. He had never felt anything like it before – it was as if some shock had been pulsed into him; alerting him, yet making him aware of nothing more than Maleen.

It was distracting.

And bewildering.

And Jozan wasn't so sure that he liked it.

It was just so weird, so strange; so new. It was almost _too_ bewildering. He hardly knew Maleen yet he was looking at her in a whole new way than he had done before. She was suddenly...different.

But Jozan believed that 'different' wasn't quite the right word to describe it. There was another word...something that fit better. Something that explained exactly how he was feeling. A word that would reveal the truth before him in less than a second...

"I'll just be a second; I'm going to ask that woman something."

Jozan looked up from his dusty black boots and realised that they had already arrived at the dock. The wooden planks beneath his feet and the busy sailors all around him should have been obvious, but Jozan had been so lost in thought that he hadn't realised where he was at all...

He had been wondering what that word was – the one he couldn't figure out – but now realised that there may be a few more important matters at hand than just describing what Maleen looked like.

"Hmm?" Jozan said; slightly confused but his mind suddenly clicked on to what Maleen had been saying, "Which woman?"

"That one," Maleen answered casually, pointing over at her, "I'll only be a few minutes."

She began to walk away, but Jozan caught her wrist like he had done when they were in the bar.

"You really need to stop doing that," She said, looking down at his firm grip.

"You can't go over to _her_," Jozan hissed, ignoring Maleen completely.

"And why not?"

"Because that's Sarah Hodnett," He answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "You _can't_."

He looked directly into Maleen's eyes as sternly as he could – ignoring the strange shock that seemed to pulse from his fingers where his skin met Maleen's – and unintentionally clamped down his fingers even harder.

"Ow! Jozan, you're hurting me."

"Sorry," He let go of her arm, but grabbed her shoulders instead, "but please don't go over there."

Maleen looked at him for a moment with tired eyes – thinking whether or not she should just give in as it wasn't an argument worth fighting for. But suddenly a thought stuck her, making her wonder...

"Why are you so scared of her?" She asked, tilting her head to one side in an innocent way, "she doesn't look too menacing."

They both glanced over to the woman who was standing a few meters away from them. Jozan's look was one of recognition, whereas Maleen's was just a general glance.

Sarah was a fairly tall woman with very dark brown hair that came just past her shoulders, in a similar fashion to Maleen's. She wore a knee-length skirt that was dark red in colour – almost like it had been dyed with blood – along with a plain, white shirt that was open at the top; revealing most of her bare neck. Her skin was fairly pale, but had a rather healthy glow about it – her cheeks were a pale pink, matching her lips.

Long, black eyelashes surrounded dark eyes – almost darker than her hair – and it gave her quite a fearsome effect.

She was one of the strongest women Maleen had ever seen.

She looked fearless, powerful, dangerous and so set on what she was doing. She looked like one of those people who, if they wanted something, she was going to stop at nothing in order to get it.

"Okay, so many she is a _little_," Maleen said, changing her opinion after studying the woman more closely, "but I'm still going to talk to her. You can't stop me."

"I _can _stop you and I _will_," Jozan insisted, catching her shoulders again as she tried to turn away, "You are _not_ going over there."

"Since when did you tell me what to do?"

"Since now."

"Ha!" Maleen tried to turn again, but Jozan stopped her for a third time. She gave him a sour expression, "Would you stop that?"

"No, not until you listen to me," He looked her square in the eyes again, but this time all of the anger had evaporated into something else, something softer, "Please, don't drag me over there."

"I wasn't planning on it, I did say that I would be back in a moment – therefore saying indirectly that I'm going to leave you for a short amount of time."

"You confuse me sometimes."

"I enjoy it."

"I can see that," He indicated to her smile with a small nod of his head.

"Now, if you would please let go of me, I need to go and talk to that woman over there."

"Sarah Hodnett."

"Yeah, her," Maleen agree, taking a step. But she paused for a moment and turned back to Jozan for a second, "But...Jozan, how do you know her name?"

He stood for a second, looking directly into Maleen's eyes and wondering whether or not it was okay to tell her the truth – or, whether or not he wanted to.

"Jozan?"

He looked down for a moment, staring at his boots once again, before looking up to meet Maleen's gaze for a second time.

"I thought you said you wanted to speak to Sarah," He muttered, leaning against a nearby building, "you'd better catch her quickly, I think she's heading off somewhere soon..."

Maleen stayed and looked at Jozan with concern for a few moments; studying his face and trying to read what was hidden deep inside of him. She searched his eyes and his expression for any clues to what he may be hiding from her, but found nothing that was an obvious giveaway.

He looked so sad - so pained inside - that Maleen felt her heart reach out to him. She wanted to comfort him in some way – any way at all – but found that she couldn't bring herself to put an arm around his shoulders. It wasn't because she didn't want to – there was actually something inside of her that was willing her to do so – but she felt that Jozan wouldn't welcome her touch. They hardly knew each other; he was going to want nothing like that from her right now.

Just then Jozan looked up – knowing that she was still there and wondering why – and Maleen turned on her heel and walked towards Sarah; numerous questions running through her mind with every step she took along the wooden board walk.

Jozan was left standing alone.

He had wanted to tell Maleen – wanted to tell her everything – but just couldn't bring himself to do it. There was something between him and her that stopped him. Something that seemed to get in the way as he tried to think of how to explain to her what had happened; how he had come to meet Sarah and why he preferred to avoid her. She had no problem with him, but what had happened...well, Jozan hadn't been proud of what he had done.

And there was something else too. He felt guilty for not telling her the truth – as if he knew somewhere deep down inside of him that keeping secrets from her was the wrong thing to do. He felt that there should be nothing hidden away, and that they should know who each other truly was...

'_What had gotten into me tonight?_' He wondered, twiddling his thumbs and looking at his surroundings, '_I don't usually come up with stuff like that..._'

But even though he felt slightly angry with himself, the anger was washed away almost as suddenly as it had appeared. It evaporated because...

Well...because he just couldn't _be_ angry.

All of his other emotions were there – sadness, happiness, confusion – but anger...?

Nothing.

Jozan sighed.

There was no point in wondering about it. He just didn't feel like it – he felt like he didn't have the energy to do anything. Nothing at all. Even leaning against the wall seemed to take something out of him. He was just so tired...

"What do you _mean _'you just don't want to'?"

Jozan lifted his head lazily in the direction of the shout, but became more alert when he noticed who was speaking.

"I _mean_ that it's _my_ ship and _I_ will be the one to decide who does and doesn't come aboard!"

"So you're stopping me from coming because I'm with a dog and a friend?"

"No, don't be stupid," Sarah hissed, but then a mocking smile appeared on her face, "The more the merrier, I say. I'm not letting you come aboard because you simply can't _afford_ it."

"You're expecting payment?"

"You expected me to let you on for free?"

"Argh!" Maleen threw her hands up in frustration.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jozan interrupted, jogging so he was with them, closely followed by Fido who had been sitting obediently at his feet, "What's all this about?"

"You're friend Sarah Hodnett here won't allow us to come on her next voyage because she knows that we won't be able to afford the fee," Maleen explained to him, as Jozan met eyes with Sarah. She smiled at him in that cruel way of hers, her eyes gleaming in a way that showed she liked to inflict pain on others.

"And how much is she charging?" Jozan asked.

"Five shillings," Sarah answered, cutting off Maleen with a smug smile, "each."

"_Each!_" Maleen exclaimed, "do you believe this, Jozan? She's charging us five shillings _each!_ No _way_ can we afford that!"

"I did say..."

"You had better shut up sometime soon or I'm gonna shove that pretty little face of yours into the dirt!"

"Watch your tongue, lass!"

"Quiet! Quiet the both of you!" Jozan was trying to compete with the racket of the other sailors behind him to get his voice heard over the two young women in front of him. There had to be some way they could manage to solve this without any violence involved... "Do you think there is any way that we could solve this _without_ disturbing the lives of others?"

Sarah shook her head so her hair flicked away from her face. She stood in a strong stance - her shoulders back, feet shoulder width apart, head held high so as to preserve as much of her dignity as she could muster. She seemed to have cooled off pretty quickly after the argument – being used to it and all – but Maleen wasn't quite as chilled.

Maleen still had her hands clenched into fists and was clamping her teeth together so she wouldn't start to shout again. Her shoulders were slumped and a black curtain of hair fell over her right eye as she glared up at Sarah.

Sarah looked down on her and smiled.

Maleen glared.

Jozan noticed something.

It wasn't exactly something in _sight_ that he noticed, but it was something he figured out using his intelligence and general common sense.

"Okay," Maleen said calmly, taking a deep breath so she could handle the matter as maturely as possible, "is there no way at all that you could perhaps lower the price? Give us a one-time offer?"

"Well...I suppose I _could_," Sarah said slowly, pretending to think it over thoroughly. Maleen turned to Jozan with a smile that could have lit up the world with the happiness that stood behind it, "but I don't want to."

Sarah smiled in false pity and Maleen's happiness vanished – cracking down the middle as the fury set back in to her mood.

'_It's now or never,_' Jozan thought, as the two women began to talk again. He had no idea what they were saying to each other, but he wasn't really paying attention to that now. He had bigger issues on his mind.

"That's cruel," Maleen muttered, the harsh edge in her tone was like shards of ice. Sarah's malicious smile returned to her features; pleased now that Maleen's vicious side had returned.

"It's life," She replied, harshly; darkly, "get used to it."

"You're heartless," Maleen hissed; taking a step forward.

"I know, and I enjoy it."

"You enjoy making other people's lives a misery?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I?"

Maleen didn't know what to say to this and there was a short moment when no one said anything at all. Sarah's black eyes flicked towards Jozan for a millisecond, but that was about as much movement that Maleen noticed.

She didn't turn to see what Sarah had been looking at, either, for two main reasons. The first was that she knew never to turn her back on her enemy – and now, Maleen definitely classed Sarah as one of the few rivals that she was aware of – as that may cause disastrous effects; and secondly she presumed that Sarah had just been checking to see whether or not Jozan had anything to say. And he hadn't said anything.

But that wasn't true.

And so, as Sarah turned and walked away from the too young adults and the dog – saying not a word more as she went – Maleen was unaware that the whole time she had been arguing with Sarah, Jozan had been doing something too.

But what he had been doing was nothing to do with the fee that needed to be paid, or Sarah who needed convincing.

Jozan had been taking something that hadn't been his for the taking.

Something that he had had his eye on for a short amount of time...


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER 22**

Ship

Jozan couldn't believe what he had done.

He wasn't exactly ashamed of it, but there was a feeling inside of him that was trying to tell him something. Trying to explain why he felt this way, what it meant and how he could get rid of these feelings that he didn't understand.

But he ignored it all. He had what he wanted now, and that was all there had been to it. It had been easier than he had assumed it would be – taking the amulet from Maleen – she hadn't noticed at all.

Sarah, on the other hand; had.

Yet Jozan had been surprised with her reaction too.

Instead of pointing it out, like she usually would have done, Sarah had just glanced at Jozan as he was taking the amulet from Maleen's pocket – taking no more interest in it whatsoever.

But, even though it was reassuring that she hadn't told Maleen about what he had been doing; Jozan had a feeling that it would come back to haunt him sometime soon – that Sarah had seen something in his actions that meant she could get some kind of profit from it.

And, knowing Sarah as well as he did, he presumed that that would be the case.

It was nothing he could dwell on in that moment though. There were bigger, more important issues at hand other than what Sarah was up to. Jozan could only hope that it would be something he could handle.

Maleen had stood and watched as Sarah walked away, amazed and confused at how everything had ended. It had seemed quite abrupt – they were in the middle of an argument and suddenly she turns on her heel and walks away; maybe from defeat, maybe because of something else. Maleen couldn't be certain.

But there was nothing she could really do about it now. The only way she could find out why Sarah had suddenly left would be to follow her and ask her – and Maleen didn't quite feel up to that at the moment. It was far too much effort in order to find out a small insignificant answer to a small insignificant question. Maleen just didn't have the energy – or enough curiosity to be bothered by it.

And, as it so happened, she had more important matters on her mind. There were things that needed to be done – decisions that needed to be made – all quite quickly if she could help it.

"So, what do you suppose we do now?" Jozan asked her, as Maleen turned around to face him; about to ask the exact same question.

"I'm not entirely certain," She answered, leaning against the building next to her. Golden light seeped through the open door way of the structure, "I was about to ask you."

"I don't think there's any point in asking anyone else if we can come aboard with them," Jozan said, looking about the dock and counting how many people he could see; how many ships that were actually preparing to set off in the next few hours, "What Sarah was saying about paying – I think every one of the captains here are going to want _something_ in return – it's just the way people are around here - and it's just not worth the hassle of arguing with any more of them. Plus...from what I can see, there doesn't seem to be many others who will be making sail soon."

Maleen looked around herself, and found that, actually, he was right.

"We have no other choice then, do we?" She said, fussing Fido who was sitting by her feet; ready to go wherever he was asked to.

Jozan gave her a confused look, expecting more information.

"I did say that there was a possibility that we might have to be stowaways for a little while," She said, looking back up at Jozan with a mischievous grin on her face, "It looks like my accusation had been correct after all."

"I've never done anything like that before," Jozan said.

"Well you'd better get used to it," She smiled, and started to walk off in the direction of the nearest boat.

Jozan jogged to keep up with her.

"Don't you think we'd better plan a better way to get _on_ the ship?" He suggested, "I mean; if we're spotted, then it's all over. We'll have to wait until someone else is setting off."

"There are two ships here, if one of them kicks us off, we have the other, don't we?"

"I suppose..."

"Well then, choose one," Maleen said simply, shrugging her shoulders, and stopping to look at him properly, "I'm not really fussed."

"We need to figure out where they're _going_ first."

"Why? We aren't heading anywhere in particular. I have no idea where my father is; so just chose one, will you?"

Jozan sighed in defeat.

"The nearest one," He said, "and" – he added, catching her by the wrist as Maleen began to walk again. She scowled down at his grip in an annoyance – "keep your presence to a minimum; if we're caught I'm blaming you for everything."

Maleen gave him a playful glare before they both set off in the direction of the ship Jozan had pointed to.

It didn't take them to long to sneak aboard the ship – paying no attention to small details such as how big it was, who owned it or what it was called. Both Jozan and Maleen figured that those weren't important matters when stowing away on boats – little did they know that some of this information would become extremely important in the near future.

However, they only managed to get on without being seen because there were so many barrels and crates that still had to be put aboard; they made perfect places to hide whenever someone was walking past and none of the three were caught once - even though there was one occasion when Jozan nearly blew their cover, Maleen managed to pull him out of the way just in time.

With little trouble at all, they managed to sneak past about seven or eight sailors to get to the storage hold – keeping their eyes and ears open at all times in order to know whether someone was coming. The ship was fairly dark, due to the lack of light at the time of very early morning – only a few candles lit the way – but despite the fact it was fairly difficult to see in the dark, and Maleen and Jozan bumped into each other in a few places, the shadowy surroundings helped them get around without being seen.

The door of the storage hold wasn't locked, even though Maleen had expected it to be. She lifted the latch easy enough and the door creaked slightly as it swung open.

The room before them wasn't that big, but it was filled with crates and boxes and barrels that had already been loaded onto the ship. Maleen could hardly believe that there was any more room for the rest of the things that still had to be loaded too, but could only presume that there was another room somewhere, where it would go.

The crates and barrels that were in this room provided a variety of hiding places for the three of them to sneak into if there should be any need for a sailor to come down and get something from the storage hold. It was quite cramped, but relatively organised, and to begin with Maleen was dreading having to live there with a boy and a dog for God knows how long. But, after taking in her surroundings and accepting the fact that the room would be as close to a home as she could get for at least the next day; she realised that, actually, it had a rather cosy feel to it.

As she closed the door behind her, and looked around the room, Maleen's mind was whirring and thinking of ways they could arranged the boxes so they still looked organised, but they had a little space where they could hide behind them. It would be best, as that way, they would need to be on full alert all of the time – they had cover in case somebody came in unexpectedly.

Jozan seemed to be one step ahead of her, though, because as she was closing the door, he was already picking up boxes and pushing things out of his way in order to get to one of the corners of the small room. He piled the crates on top of each other, and, eventually, was left with a small rectangle of space – just big enough for the three of them to lie down in with a little bit of room each.

It was perfect.

Maleen didn't have to do a thing.

"Well, what d'you think?" Jozan asked her, as he made himself at home; sitting down and leaning his head against the wall whilst stretching his legs out in front of him.

"Pretty good," Maleen answered, smiling at his extremely relaxed state, "I guess we can't get much better than this."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Yes...I suppose it could be."

He laughed.

And that one small sound created a feeling inside of Maleen that she had never felt before. It was just a laugh – perhaps no more than a smile – but it sent annoyance through her veins; fire, burning, anger. But it hadn't been the laugh that had made her angry – it was the other feeling that came with it. The other peaceful feeling of calm that washed over her; putting out the fire as if it were the Caribbean Sea. And no matter how hard she tried, Maleen couldn't hold on to the frustration that she wanted to build up to stop the feeling of peace – she wasn't strong enough – and soon enough she was smiling back at him, still not understanding what was going on inside of her. She had no idea what was going on but this feeling that went through her was wonderful, wondrous, and as much as she hated the way it confused her and made her feel, she loved it all the same.

But it was just a laugh, and she still couldn't get past the fact that one small sound could make her feel this way. She didn't understand how it could work like that, but, at that very moment, she didn't really care.

Because, in the split second that all of this had happened – the feelings of anger and calm and the confusion – Maleen had subconsciously began to sit down opposite Jozan. He was smiling at her as she made herself comfortable, and she smiled back once she looked up.

"So, I told you about my family life; now, what about yours?"

"What about mine?"

"Aren't you going to tell me about it?"

"I suppose I could," Maleen smiled, leaning back on the crate behind her, "What d'you want to know?"

Jozan pause for no more than a few seconds before giving her his answer.

"Everything," He whispered, "I want to know everything about you."

"What d'you mean by everything?"

"Your family, friends, and everything that's happened to you...your hopes, your dreams... your favourite flower." He smiled; a sly grin that meant only one side of his lips was curled upwards.

"Well, my favourite flower is a red hibiscus," Maleen began, looking back at him with a look that clearly showed she didn't think the question was important, "mostly because my mother showed me it when I was young and I never forgot those red petals – they look like leaves, you know. As for friends...I don't really have many. I guess I classed Simon and Martina as friends – and now you too, I suppose – but other than that I know few people who I could trust."

"You trust me?"

"I kind of have to if you're going to help me," Maleen answered, "I can't go sailing the seas, looking for my father, with someone who I don't trust."

Jozan looked at her for a long moment before nodding to her to carry on.

"I don't have many hopes or dreams, really; only one, I guess. And I think you already know that."

Jozan smiled in reply and nodded his head once – a sign that she should carry on and that he understood what she was talking about. It gave Maleen a small warmth that he was actually interested in her life – perhaps he would stay with her once they found Jack; it would certainly give him a place to go, and she would have someone to talk to that was around her own age. Maleen wasn't too keen on the idea of having to talk to adult men when on long voyages at sea – they wouldn't understand her; the only grown up she felt did know what she was like was her father; and he would no doubt be busy for a fair amount of time as he gave orders and did whatever it was that captain's did when in charge aboard a ship.

"And for family...there's my father, of course," She said, cursing herself mentally for not speaking of her mother again, "but...other than that I don't have anyone else."

"What about your mother?"

Maleen couldn't help but look down at the wooden planks beneath when Jozan asked the question. She wasn't ashamed of what had happened, it just saddened her – touched something deep inside of her that made her feel uncomfortable, vulnerable; and she could be none of those things if she was going to survive without adult help.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it, should I? It obviously isn't something you talk about often..."

Maleen felt tears threatening to fall, but she refused to let them do so. Instead, she took a deep breath and lifted her head up to face Jozan once more.

"It's okay. I'll tell you if you really want to know," When he smiled kindly; his lovely brown eyes showing he was sincere, Maleen went on, "but I have a few conditions. First, even though I know you probably won't, I don't want you to laugh at anything I tell you – what I saw horrified me" – Jozan was about to interject, but Maleen held up her index finger to stop him in his tracks – "and secondly, I don't want you to think less of me in any way –"

This time, Jozan refused to let Maleen stop him from speaking.

"Maleen, how could I think less of you if you tell me about your mother? I told you about mine, and did you think any less of me?"

She considered it for a moment. He had a point – what he had told her about his parents hadn't affected the way she thought about him. Jozan was still Jozan – the quiet, mysterious boy that she couldn't quite figure out because he hid his feelings so well. His lovely brown eyes were filled with mystery; of hidden secrets that she could get no closer to.

"No," She finally answered softly, "of course not."

"Then what's stopping you? I'm here and I'm listening," Jozan replied, "So, tell me about what happened."

Maleen told him everything – revealing more than she had originally intended too. In the end, she had become a little carried away; seeing the scene before her eyes once again and describing what she saw. She even ended up showing Jozan the spoiled letter that her mother had written her as well as the locket from her father. He handled both objects with great care; as if afraid that they would fall apart in his hands if he wasn't careful – and with the letter, he was probably right to do so.

And, of course, there had been the tears. Amazingly, there hadn't been as many as Maleen had expected there to be – unlike in the jail cell, that first night of her escapade. She didn't sob uncontrollably either; they were silent, small tears that rolled down her face; catching hardly any attention at all. Maleen was only aware of why her vision had gone slightly blurry, when Jozan whipped her cheek with his fingers; getting rid of the moisture that was resting there.

And Jozan – he had been so understanding.

Maleen had wondered how he would handle the situation she would put him in. She could come up with two possibilities that she thought fit his personality – either he would comfort her with reassuring words, or sit and do nothing at all because he would have no idea how to console her.

But, to Maleen's surprise, he had done neither.

Instead, when Maleen had begun to look like she was on the brink of tears, Jozan had scooted over so they were sitting side by side and wrapped and arm around her shoulders; allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder.

It was after he had wiped her tears away, that Maleen had shown Jozan the letter and locket.

"Why has the ink run?" He asked softly, indicating to the faded letters on the page, but not actually touching them.

"It's been under water twice," Maleen answered, "but the first time I don't think it got too wet. It was when I was near the river, with Simon, that it really got ruined."

Jozan didn't ask about the river, or Simon, as he knew that it wasn't important at the moment. He knew what Maleen wanted to speak of the letter – and changing the subject wouldn't help her in any way.

"It's still readable," He answered, keeping that soft tone in his voice.

"I know, but I was worried that it wouldn't be when I remembered it. After being pulled out of the river it suddenly came to me that I might have lost it or it would be completely worthless; having no sentimental as well as worth," Maleen then lifted a hand to touch the nape of her neck gently, using her fingers to lightly touch the skin there. Jozan didn't know what he was expecting when she lifted her hand once again to reveal the glint of a silver chain twined between her fingers.

In silence, she unclasped it and then handed it to him.

"My father gave it to me," Maleen answered, "just before he went away...I've treasured it even since and hardly ever take it off."

Jozan turned the oval shaped locket over in his palm to see the initials M.S written clearly on the front. Jack had obviously had it made especially, and he had presumed that it had cost him quite a lot of money – unless he had managed to make a deal, that is.

"Where did he get it?"

"I'm not sure – he never told me anything about it," She paused for a moment, remembering something, "Well, actually, I never asked. But it was the last thing he ever gave to me, so I've treasured it."

"As would any other person who loved their father as dearly as you do."

"I loved my mother as well," Maleen said after a while, "It may seem like I didn't because I don't talk about her as much as I do about Jack, but she really was a brilliant person. She looked after me on her own for four years and...I suppose I did favour my father over her, but only a little...I never even told her how I really felt..."

She leaned her head against his shoulder again and Jozan could tell that she felt guilty about what she had just admitted. It was hard for her, he supposed, to handle the fact that her mother was gone and she had never really told her how much she cared for her.

"It's alright," He said, stroking her hair absentmindedly, "I'm sure your mother knew that you loved her, even if you never told her. It was the same between me and my mother – she knew I cared for her, even though I never told her. I think it's something parents just pick up on."

Maleen had said nothing to that, but Jozan could tell by the briefest of smiles she gave him, that his words had been comforting – even if she didn't believe they were the truth.

And after that, they sat in silence; Maleen resting against Jozan as he kept stroking her hair - still without realising he was doing it at all. It was as if some part of his mind knew that it was right, acceptable, to do so.

And at one point, as the two of them began to be taken over by the lack of sleep they had gotten that night, Maleen had twined her fingers with Jozan's. He had been filled with amazement and wonder at her surprising touch and he could think of nothing else in the world that he could want in that moment; he was comfortable just as he was.

And so, they drifted off to sleep - Maleen with her head resting on Jozan, his arm around her shoulders and their fingers interlocked in their own embrace.


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER 23**

Lies

They were in the same position late morning, the next day, when Jozan woke to the sound of keys jangling.

To begin with, he thought his ears had deceived him, as when he stopped to listen he was sure there was nothing to be heard. But, after a few moments of still silence, he heard it again – along with voices that he had forgotten existed.

"What do you _mean_ you brought the wrong keys?" The unmistakable voice of Sarah Hodnett hissed from the other side of the door to the storage hold; it was clear that she wasn't happy, "How hard is it to follow simple orders, you filthy dog?"

"I-I-I'm sorry, Captain...I just –"

"Argh! I don't _care_ about your excuses; surely you should understand that by now?" Sarah's voice seemed to be getting louder as she carried on scolding the sailor who was obviously sorry for what he had done – and if he wasn't, Jozan could guess that he would be soon, "I never have done, never will do – and that is something that will never change!"

There was a _thump_ as someone hit the floor, followed a scrambling sound like fingernails on wood. Jozan began to lift Maleen off himself slowly, so he could get up and look through the keyhole of the door, without waking Maleen up in the process.

"Get up those stairs you incompetent mutt!" Sarah harsh voice hissed, accompanied by the sound of another _thump_, "I have to do everything around here..."

Jozan didn't manage to get to the door in time to see the two of them depart. After climbing over Fido - who was still sleeping soundly, just like Maleen – and then clambering over the boxes in his way; Sarah and the unfortunate sailor she had been telling off were on the floor above his head – far out of his eye sight so he couldn't see them no matter how hard he pressed his eye against the keyhole. Jozan even attempted to open the door and follow them – only to be reminded why Sarah had needed the keys in the first place.

It was a shame that the realisation hadn't come to him then; because, if it had, Jozan might have had time to think up of a plan to get them out of the situation that was about to happen in the future. It was less than an hour away – far less – but his thoughts weren't gathered together at that moment in time. He had just woken up and wasn't at his most alert state in the day quite yet. If he had overheard the conversation a little later, after having some time to get his senses together, the story would have taken an entirely different turn – but, as you may have guessed, that wasn't the case.

Jozan made his way back to the little spot in the corner of the room where the two of them had decided to sleep the night before. If there had been any hope of him realising the important things he had just discovered – for example; the ship belonging to Sarah Hodnett – that hope was soon destroyed as soon as he took one look at Maleen.

As he climbed over the last crate that was in his way, - being careful not to land on Fido as he jumped down from it - Jozan saw her there – sleeping peacefully on the wooden floor, just as he had left her before. He was surprised at the impact that glance had on him – he had only looked at her. He had seen her face before, many times; even though they had only met the previous night. He didn't believe that, suddenly, he saw a whole new side of her – the side she was trying to cover up as best she could to hide the feelings that lay inside.

Because what Jozan saw made his heart beat faster - if only by a little bit. He could still feel it pounding away in his chest as he stared at Maleen's face, taking in and trying to understand all of the feelings that were inside of him.

She looked...peaceful; childlike. That mask of scorn and sarcasm was replaced with one of purity – revealing the true person inside of her; the one that wasn't mean or ironic or angry, but...something else.

But Jozan wasn't sure whether he liked this image or not. There were things about it that made her look beautiful, but ruined the fearless attitude that she had shown so clearly before. This other thing – that something that showed in her features as she dreamt of distant worlds that didn't exist – it made him feel worried for her; almost scared of what might happen to her in the future.

Maleen no longer looked as strong as she did during the day – as if a shield was surrounding her when she walked in the sunlight. Instead, she looked...vulnerable, hurt; lost...

And alone.

Her features showed ever so slightly that she was lonely. Jozan had no idea how he could interpret it, but he managed it and the skill he had surprised him – he knew he may only be able to understand a few of the many feelings that she was undergoing at the moment, during her rest, but it somehow filled him with a small pleasure that he was able to read her as well as he could

Jozan could see from the way her eyelashes were fluttering slightly that she was dreaming – it was something his father had taught her to look for before he had met Amelia. It made Jozan wonder what she was dreaming about, but he knew that he would never be able to see for himself. It was something that no one could do – a physical impossibility.

But he still couldn't help but wonder - about so many things. What she was dreaming about was something minor - unimportant, really – there were other questions circling his head that caught more of his attention. And one stuck out far more than the rest; why was she covering up all of these feelings that she felt deep down inside?

He pondered it for a short while, watching her sleep in the process. But no answers would come to him. He had no clue that not even Maleen knew the answer.

And something happened while he was watching her. A small, almost insignificant thought drifted into his head whilst he thought. It was so small, in fact, that he just barely noticed that he had thought it at all. But he did notice; and that was a moment when his feelings changed for her - a moment where his feelings changed forever.

'_She looks beautiful..._'

Jozan could hardly believe he had thought it – and didn't care where on Earth it came from – but after taking another look at her face and remembering everything he had previously thought about in the past – every thought involving her – Jozan realised something.

That he had felt this way all along.

His feelings had been covered up, that was all. Everything he had felt for her had been enclosed in a cage that was refusing to open because of a reason he couldn't quite understand. He had only met her last night, but that night had been the longest one of his entire life – seeming to go on forever. And it didn't matter how long ago it had been. He now knew what was important to him, even if it wasn't important to Maleen at all.

It was at that very moment that she opened her eyes.

And the same moment when that mask Jozan had seen when they had first met, came back.

"Why are you staring at me?" Maleen asked cautiously, rubbing her eyes to try and wake herself up a little faster. She covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned; stretching out her legs at the same time.

Jozan smiled for a reason he couldn't quite understand, "I was just thinking." He said simply.

"Are you going to let me in on the joke?"

Jozan gave her a confused look.

"Well there must be a reason why you're smirking."

"Just a memory," He answered, in the same, basic tone as before and making it discreetly clear that he no longer wanted to talk about it. Maleen understood straight away.

There was short moment of silence as the two of them sat next to each other, Fido's soft snoring the only sound that was loud enough to hear clearly. There were also shouts from above them as the sailors went about their jobs but the voices were muffled and not understandable from where they were sitting.

Maleen's expression was full of distant wonder, and Jozan couldn't stop himself from questioning what she was thinking. Now he knew the feelings he felt for her, everything seemed a little clearer in the world; a little simpler.

And, before he could stop himself, he came to the conclusion that he was going to tell her.

"Maleen –" He began, but before he could go any further, she hushed him.

Jozan looked over at her. She seemed to be concentrating hard; listening.

"What is it?"

"Sshhh!"

He smiled at her bossiness but listened with as much intensity as she was.

And that was when his heart skipped a beat.

Not because of Maleen – this had nothing to do with her – but because things began to replay in his mind; things he had seen no more than half an hour before.

Sarah.

She was back.

Suddenly everything clicked into place – something that should have happened much earlier on – every detail he had seen, heard, came rushing back to him and a sudden feeling of guilt and dread filled the pit of his stomach.

They were doomed.

And that was when he heard the sound of a key turning inside of a lock.

"See? How hard was it, really?" Sarah asked as the door swung open with a creak.

Both Jozan and Maleen watched as Sarah entered the room; a weak-looking man trailing behind her, looking sorry for himself. Even Fido was awake now; but he wasn't watching what was happening, instead he lay down and looked watched Maleen as she watched Sarah.

"That's –" She began, but was cut off by Jozan's hand as it clamped over her mouth.

"They'll hear us," He whispered, ducking her down with him, so they couldn't be seen if Maleen had attracted any attention.

"But it's _Sarah_," She hissed back, keeping her head low, "why didn't you tell me it was _Sarah's_ ship?"

"Because I didn't _know!_" He hissed back.

She scowled at him, but her expression softened when she realised he was telling the truth. He felt glad that she believed him – it showed that she trusted him, and that was something he appreciated...and something that wasn't that important right now.

"Am I interrupting something?"

And that was when they both looked up, to see Sarah Hodnett towing over them.

A few moments later, Maleen found herself standing in yet another jail cell; resting her elbows on the bars and staring glumly at the empty cell opposite her.

Sarah hadn't hesitated for more than a few seconds before – quite literally - throwing them in the brig with her own hands. Her expression was bitter as she locked the door shut – throwing the keys on a hook by the steps that led down to the room they were now trapped in.

Being caged inside a space that she could just about lie down in made Maleen feel more trapped than ever – at least back in Port Royal she had enough room to breathe when she had been encaged. The bars that surrounded her felt like they were closing in on her with every second that past – suffocating her, crushing her slowly and painfully. It made her have a yearning – a strong desire that she hadn't known previously existed – for freedom.

She had no idea where it came from, but as soon as Sarah locked the door to her cell, Maleen had a desire to run away – far away; as far as her legs would carry her.

And, of course, to add to everything else, there was that familiar disappointment – the one mixed with failure and dread that she would never make it to her father after all. That everything they were doing was just a huge waste of time because she was incapable of searching for someone successfully...

But the worst thing was; they weren't even together.

Fido was with her, of course – Sarah could think of no reason why the dog should be put in a brig of his own – but the captain had felt the need to put Jozan in a separate cell to Maleen; for reasons that she couldn't understand and Sarah refused to tell.

It was still possible to talk though – the iron bars could do nothing to stop the sound of their voices as they communicated every now and again. There wasn't much to talk about, though – the silence was eerie, making her feel even more trapped and isolated from the world around her.

Maleen had no idea how long it had been before Sarah returned.

She arrived at the foot of the stairs almost silently – the only sound she made was the jingle of the keys as she spun them around on her finger. She stood tall, her head held high; a sly smile on her perfect lips. There was an aura of triumph around her – she had captured them, and was now going to make them pay for sneaking aboard her ship.

Maleen looked up at her with tired, defeated eyes; taking in the glow that Sarah seemed to be surrounded by. She didn't care anymore. All Maleen wanted was to get out of here – to get away from Sarah and continue with her quest – but, of course, Sarah would never be so kind as to let her free and help her; not after what had happened.

But, then again, Maleen doubted she would have helped her anyway – even if they hadn't stowed away on her ship. Sarah was just one of those people who was heartless – someone who enjoyed to watch others squirm in pain. The thought made Maleen wonder what Sarah had been like as a child, but found that she couldn't picture an image of a small girl being as cruel as Sarah seemed to be.

And that wicked smile of hers – filled with mockery and hatred for all living things – it made Maleen feel uneasy; a little nauseous, if she was honest. It reminded her of Lord Gulliver's smile when he had first found out who she was. But that incident when she had received her brand – it seemed so long ago now. A distant memory now that so much had happened since. Maleen's fingers moved subconsciously to traced the letter P marked on her arm. It didn't hurt anymore – but she could still remember the pain that had pulsed through her body when the brander had been pressed against her skin.

"So, how're we doing down here?" Sarah asked; that false-kindness clear in her voice. It was mocking and filled Maleen with anger that she concealed with a bit of effort. Neither of the two answered her.

"Hmm," Sarah said in disapproval, "Not talking? Never mind, I suppose that will make all of this a little easier. I just came to tell you your choices – I thought that perhaps you would prefer to decide your own fate, rather than have me choose it for you."

Jozan's eyes flicked over to look at Maleen, but other than that, neither of them moved.

Sarah stood and waited for one of them to speak.

"You really aren't in the mood to play?" She asked; her lips twisting into a frown, "That's no fun. Such spoilers, you are."

Jozan smiled briefly, his eyes flicking over to Maleen again. She didn't notice his glance this time.

"Well, I think I know a way to get you talking," She walked over to Jozan's cell and crouched so she was eye level with him. Maleen watched in curiosity as Sarah held Jozan's gaze in a stone-cold stare.

"Will you tell me a story, Jozee?" She asked him, in a voice that was more suited to a toddler than someone of Jozan's age. Jozan scowled at her; obviously hating the knick-name she had given him.

"How about that one from a few years ago?" Sarah asked, "I liked that story. It was fun wasn't it? Don't you think it was fun, Jozee?"

"No," Jozan answered bluntly, "I hated it."

"Ah, but why else would you have agreed to do as I suggested?" Sarah said; her face was a mask off innocence; as if she was just making polite conversation. But it was easy for anyone who knew Sarah, to see that she was mocking Jozan. Winding him up, seeing how far she could push him before he lashed out at her. Maleen could see the tension in Jozan's clenched fists – his knuckles were white from the pressure they were under. She knew that if Sarah didn't leave him alone, something bad would happen.

"I know you liked it really," Sarah continued, either oblivious to Jozan's anger, or, more likely just choosing to ignore it, "you enjoyed watching it to. Watching the fire as it burned away at everything in its path. Hearing the screams –"

"Stop it!" Jozan yelled; pounding against the jail bars with his fists. Sarah stood; her wicked smile back in place on her face as she watched Jozan's anger spill out of him, "Stop it right now, you know that's not how it was!"

"It's what I think happened," Sarah argued, "You even started the flames yourself; I had nothing to do with it."

"You were the one who persuaded me _to_ do it!"

"I think you'll find I suggested it, then stepped back whilst you did the work."

Jozan was breathing heavily, his fists still clenched by his sides. He had stood up during the argument, but now seemed to have run out of words to say. Sarah stood triumphant, yet again; the ring of keys still circling round her finger as she smiled at him. Her eyes were dark, pitiless. Maleen felt a chill just looking at her.

"Just go," Jozan told her; his voice quieter now, "just leave me alone."

"I make the rules around here, Jozee," Sarah said back, her voice as equally calm as it had been throughout the insults and torment that had filled the air not a moment before, "In case you've forgotten, this is _my_ ship and I give the orders. But I'm in a kind mood today; so I'll make a deal with you. I'll leave this room and stop talking about that incident which happened a few years ago - and won't trouble you; as long as I get that pretty trinket you took from your pretty lady..."

Maleen watched, confused, as Jozan stiffened. His jaw clenched as he stared at Sarah; his eyes filled with an emotion that Maleen couldn't quite understand.

'_Why?_' They seemed to ask, '_Just why?_'

Jozan was shaking his head now, every so often glancing up at the captain – her smile showed she was enjoying every moment of Jozan's discomfort. Maleen kept looking between the two, trying to figure out what she had missed; but came up blank every time.

"Well, Jozee?" Sarah asked; her voice taunting and full with false-innocence, "Are you going to hand it over, or would you rather I stayed and reminded you more of that night. I can make it sound far worse than it actually was, you know..."

"No," Jozan said, "don't speak of it."

"Are you going to hand it over?" Jozan didn't answer. Sarah walked over to the bars again and looked right into his eyes. She was close – too close – but Jozan found he couldn't move away from her stare, "You do know," She whispered, smiling faintly, "that I'll take that little trinket from you even if you won't give it to me...so are you going to hand it over?"

Jozan dropped his eyes to the ground and Maleen continued to watch with confused eyes – her mind ticking as it tried to remember things she had missed.

"Is it her?" Sarah asked, glancing at Maleen briefly before turning back to Jozan, "Is it because she's here? You don't want her to know?"

There was still no reply.

"Well, I'll tell you what. Just because I like you that much, I'll keep it a secret. I won't tell her about what happened a few years back with Amy, and I won't even mention the fact that you stole her pretty medallion when she wasn't looking" – an evil smile – "I _promise_."

Even though she had been whispering, Maleen had heard every word that had been spoken. It wasn't hard, really. There were few noises to merge with it, to fade it out. The only things that Maleen could hear were the little creak as the ship swayed and the wood groaned, and the jingle of the keys as they continued to spin around Sarah's finger...

Jozan stood frozen.

Maleen's hand slip into her pocket.

It was empty.

Sarah was telling the truth.

Maleen felt herself begin to fill with a number of emotions – hatred, betrayal, sadness. Jozan – _Jozan_ – had stolen from her.

"I trusted you," She whispered, looking at him and ignoring Sarah, "I trusted you!"

"Maleen," Jozan tried to answer, "I –"

"No," She said, shaking her head, "Why, Jozan? _Why_? I _trusted_ you!"

Maleen found she was speaking through gritted teeth and tears were threatening to fall. Angry tears – tears of frustration caused by the disloyalty of the one person she thought she could trust. The last person on earth who she felt could help her find her father. He had turned against her.

He had _betrayed_ her.

And it was that one word which made her feel this way – she was sure of it.

Betrayed.

He'd turned against her. He wasn't with her anymore. There was no way she could bring herself to forgive him now.

And somehow, somewhere inside of her, Maleen hated that most of all – the fact that she could no longer trust him. It tugged at something deep in her gut, trying to tell her something that she didn't understand.

"I trusted you," She said again, pain showing clearly on her face.

"And you still can –" Jozan insisted; but Maleen wasn't having any of it. She held up a hand to silence him, before turning her back on him and sitting down next to Fido.

She had completely forgotten that Sarah was still standing there – loving every second that ticked by. Her eyes were dark and empty – cold, yet seemingly burning with a hidden flame. Her lips were twisted into that same, wicked smile.

"Hand it over, Jozee," She said simply, "unless you want me to get the boys down here, that is."

With pain and sorrow written all over his face, Jozan pulled the medallion out of his pocket and passed it to Sarah through the bars. She snatched it from him – long fingernails nearly slicing his skin in her haste – and looked at it admiringly.

"It's wonderful," She said, gazing at the beautiful stones that encrusted the surface of the cold. She then turned to Maleen, "however did you come by such a marvellous trinket?"

"That's none of your concern, captain," She replied quietly.

Sarah smiled once more before turning to go; the medallion clutched safely in her hand. As she reached the steps, she turned back once more to say a few departing words, placing the keys on a nail that hung off the wall.

"Oh, I'll come back later, shall I? To let you decide what you want to do next? Or would you rather I chose for you?"

There was no reply from either of the cells – silence felt like a crushing weight on both of their shoulders.

"Never mind then," She said, smiling once again, "leave it up to me."

And with that she left – leaving only destruction, conflict and sadness behind her; as she always did.

They sat in silence after that.

Maleen stayed in the same position as before – sitting next to Fido and stroking him was the best comfort she could get in her cell. She said nothing else to Jozan, however much she wanted to. The words just wouldn't come to her. She could think of no way to put her feelings into words; there were just so many of them, too complicated. She found the way she was feeling confusing herself, so what Jozan would think if she said aloud what was going through her head? It would make no sense at all. So words were best left unspoken at that moment – it would be far better if neither of them said a word, and they sat in silence.

But the thoughts kept running through her head, reminding her of how she felt every second that ticked by. It was as if there were voices in her head telling her the way she felt, reminding her, making her think more and more deeply about it with every sentence.

'_He betrayed you..._'

'_You trusted him..._'

'_Thief! He stole..._'

'_But you do..._'

'_You're alone..._'

'_You could live..._'

She hated it. Every second, every voice, every never ending moment of silence – she hated them all.

Because the silence – the vast nothingness that surrounded her – it screamed the truth, somehow. It told her exactly what the core of every feeling she had was - every reason why, every explanation; everything was clear.

But some things, she didn't want to be clear. Some things, like how she felt about Jozan, and why she felt that way, were things she didn't want to think about at that moment. She knew that something was important, something was vitally important, but she chose to ignore it anyway. She just didn't want to know, right now. Right now, all Maleen wanted to do was forget. She wanted to curl up into a ball, with Fido lying next to her and just sleep. It was some point during the day – the exact time, she wasn't sure – but she didn't care. She was tired and sick of everything. All she wanted was the nothingness of sleep – a dreamless, calm sleep where she could relax and forget.

But that wasn't going to happen.

Not with _him_ sitting only a few feet away from her.

_Him_ – the one who stole from her.

Jozan.

She sighed.

Yes. She hated this. Everything about it.

Everything was so much simpler back home, at Port Royal – at least she knew what to expect there. Everything was in order, usually. There was crime, of course – where wasn't there? – But the thief was almost always caught. And, if they weren't, a pursuit was taken place to find the wanted man or woman who had broken the law. She had known what to expect from the people who were around her as she had grown up and watched them every day; watched how they acted and treated others. She knew these people, even though she had spoken to very few of them – but with Jozan...

With Jozan it was different. They had met only the day before – no, the _night_ before – and yet she felt she could trust him after he saved her life.

But that had only been one good deed.

He had lied to her; told her he was someone different from the person he actually was. Hidden himself – as if having a role in a play.

And Maleen had no idea why that annoyed her.

She had no idea at all what the reason behind all of this was.

There was a reason – a real, true reason – which she was blind to. She was oblivious, completely oblivious, to what she was feeling and why she was feeling that way.

But that wasn't significant at that moment.

Because, as Maleen sighed and thought of everything she had been through, cannon fire sounded above.


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER 24**

Rescue

Maleen wasn't sure what to think of it at first.

Her head whipped up in the direction of the sound, instinctively, as her senses tried to figure out where it had come from. It was obvious, really – the deck – but it took her no more than a second to figure that out.

It had given her a shock, that was for sure, but other than that she felt nothing. Just curiosity, as always; nothing else. There was no reason for her to wonder who might have fired the blow – she had no idea what was going to happen, like always – but it was something she would have definitely found interesting. She had no idea that her luck was about to change – dramatically.

Jozan hadn't seemed any more intrigued than she.

Maleen glanced at him before she went back to looking at the floor. He was leaning against the wall, his legs hunched close to his body and his arms wrapped around his knees – the exact same position he had been in when she had first seen him. It made him seem...weak somehow; as if he were protecting himself from the world around him – hiding away as best he could in the hope that bad things would avoid him if he made himself as small as possible.

But when he looked up, strands of brown hair just covering his eyes, there was something in his face that made Maleen feel suspicious.

His posture had made him seem sad, lonely; afraid - perhaps even ashamed – but his face...

His eyes were dark, mysterious; mouth drawn downwards into an almost sinister frown, eyebrows pulled together – a look of concentration.

It was a tad frightening that he had managed to disguise his mood so well with only his position. There was a strange aura around him to – one of hatred and revenge.

It didn't suit him at all well – it was such a different side to him from the weak and vulnerable look he had just a few moments before.

'_But what could he be thinking about?_' Maleen had to wonder, much to her own annoyance in the interest she was taking, '_There has to be a reason..._'

Cannon fire, once again, sounded above their heads.

Maleen sneaked a glance at Jozan for a second time, only to be caught and have to whip her head back round again – hair lashing against her cheeks almost painfully.

He may have been interesting, but he sure made her angry.

How could he have stolen from her? She still couldn't get over it.

Cannon fire, louder this time. Maleen ignored it.

There had to be a reason why he had done it; money, she supposed –

Cannon fire.

But what would have been the point if he was going to stay with her? He couldn't have –

Cannon fire.

Traded it without her noticing. And that look on his face – one of concentration – what was that about? Why was he so stern when he should be asking her for forgiveness; asking to help him escape?

Cannon fire.

It filled her with anger just thinking about it. How could he be so pigheaded? Thoughtless? Malicious? It certainly hadn't been the impression she had gotten from him to begin with. He'd seemed...gentle, quiet and a little shy – nothing like what she was thinking now. Because now, she was sure she hated him – well, almost sure – words began to spring into her head; names of which described him best. Curses; the worst names she could possibly think of. Every name under the sun.

He was a lying, betraying, arrogant –

Maleen's thoughts stopped in midstream; every word disappearing into nothingness in her shock and surprise.

It took only a second – maybe not even that.

As the cannon ball burst through the wall; splinters flying in every direction, Maleen stopped thinking about curses and insults and instinctively covered her head; bowing as low as her crossed legs would let her.

She'd been oblivious to the other noises that had only been getting louder and more consistent as she ranted on in her head. Oblivious to the near danger that was around her, and absolutely unmindful to the fact that the ship they were on was under attack.

Fido hadn't been too troubled by the noise – the only thing he seemed bothered by was the fact someone had disrupted his sleep – and neither had Jozan, really. He had gotten used to the cannon fire when he heard it the first time; when the shot had burst through the wood – in the cell next to his – he hadn't covered his head or even jumped; just glanced upwards to see where it had gone.

This was really confusing Maleen.

Jozan had an entirely new attitude now. He seemed a lot more distant and antisocial; transfixed on some thought that he didn't want to be disrupted from – and she had picked this up from just watching him. They hadn't spoken since Sarah had come down to see them again, but Maleen could judge his mood very well now. It was simply the fact that it showed so clearly on his features.

Something was up – Maleen was certain of that – but what she couldn't figure out was why she was so interested. It was Jozan – the person who had stolen from her and who she could no longer trust...so why was there a small corner of herself that felt sorry for him?

Maleen began to chew on her bottom lip in her frustration and worry. There was that little something niggling at her again – trying to tell her the answers to all of her questions. A part of her knew it was evident, but the rest of her mind was refusing to let her understand – and that only infuriated her more.

She knew the answer, but she couldn't figure out where it had been stored in her mind. It was definitely there – somewhere – she could feel it. It was as if she could feel somebody watching her; and not knowing who.

And there was a _reason_ she couldn't think of it – that was something else she knew. And it was that reason that she really wanted to know – because once she figured that out; everything else would become so much clearer.

Maleen sighed again and turned her head to look at the hole in the opposite side of the ship. The cannon ball hadn't been large – it would have fit into the palms of her hands with little trouble at all – but she could guess it would cause a whole lot of damage if it hit the mast or some other important part of the ship.

And that was when realisation hit her.

The cannon ball.

Someone else was here.

'_Better not jump to conclusions,_' She thought, '_it could be someone else who just wants to cause trouble..._'

But her mind wasn't listening to her own advice. It was showing her pictures of her father; looking for her, rescuing her and taking her back to safety.

'_He's here,_' Another part of her mind whispered to her, '_He didn't forget; he came to get you._'

But it couldn't be him, and Maleen knew that. How would he have found out she was here? It wasn't possible he could just..._know_. Someone had to have told him; and nobody had seen her and Jozan depart from the island on Sarah's ship.

And that was when she heard the noise.

It sounded like clattering – the dropping of metal objects – followed by the _thud_ of a body hitting the ground.

Maleen's heart leap.

'_He's here,_' She thought again; ignoring her thoughts from the past few seconds completely. Her head whipped up and watched the doorway hopefully; clinging to the bars and waiting to see him there...see him come waltzing through the door.

"Jack?" A voice called making Maleen's heart sink just a little, "Jack Sparrow?"

'_He knows him, that's always a good sign..._' She thought, as the voice's owner made himself visible.

He was a fairly tall man with broad shoulders and more muscle than Maleen had ever seen before. His skin was dark – very dark – almost black, and he wore a thin white shirt and cut-off trousers. His feet were bare, but they looked tough; used to walking on rough material.

His eyes scanned the empty prison cells; then his eyes rested on Maleen and Jozan.

"Has a man been in here recently?" he asked; his eyes stern.

"No," Jozan answered bluntly.

"But I know who you're looking for," Maleen answered, desperately, "Captain Jack Sparrow, right? He's my father. I'm looking for him too."

The man walked up to her; walking past Jozan without even a second glance, and came so close that Maleen could almost feel the heat of him through the bars.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Maleen," She answered, "I can help you. I can help you find him, if you'll let me out of here."

He stood for a moment, looking down at her from his great height. He looked sinister and Maleen guessed he could easily break her arm if he wanted to.

Then his face broke into a smile.

"Pedro Golding," He said, placing a hand through the bars for Maleen to shake, "I've heard a bit about you – but that was a while ago. I can tell you're his daughter, you know."

Maleen smiled, "Do you know where he is?" She asked; desperation resting in every word.

"Yes, I do. He should be on the nearest island - Isla de la Batalla. That's what I've heard. I'd be surprised if he wasn't, to be honest; you haven't seen what Jack's like when treasure's involved."

Jozan looked up.

"Treasure?" Maleen asked, "What treasure?"

"Now that I'm not certain on; but I do know where it's supposed to be. Some business man on Silver Street owns a cluttered shop – inside should be one of the most valuable items in the world."

Jozan's eyes glistened once as he looked back down at the wood beneath him.

"How do you know all this?" Maleen asked in wonder.

"Word travels," He answered simply, "We were on our way to the island when we saw this ship; and it made me wonder whether Jack might've been picked up by Sarah, so we stopped by."

"Why would Jack have been picked up by Sarah?"

Pedro went to speak but heard another clatter from above, making him pause then carry on in a rush; "We can discuss this later; right now, I need to get you out of here – where are the keys?"

"On a nail, by the door; I watched her put them there just before she left."

"Good job you're observant," Pedro muttered as he grabbed the keys off the hook and walked back to unlock Maleen's cell. The bars swung open with little noise; just a small, insignificant squeak.

"What about this guy?" Pedro asked, stopping outside Jozan's cell; keys in hand, "Is he with you."

"He was." Maleen answered bluntly.

"Should I let him go too?"

"No," She said, looking down at Jozan with hatred in her eyes, "He can't be trusted."

And they left.

Maleen sprinted up the stairs, with Pedro leading the way and Fido trailing behind. The noises were louder and much more frequent now; it seemed that Sarah had chosen to fight back.

The deck was busy and noisy and there were people in every direction. Maleen had managed to grab her weapons back before they left – as they had been taken from her when she was thrown into the cell – but had no need for them as Pedro walked casually across the deck; killing only those who got in his way.

The clanging of the swords rang in Maleen's ears, as did the yells and the cries of pain and victory. She couldn't help but look around as she made her way across the deck to where Pedro's ship was waiting. All those men, fighting...it didn't seem right.

"Hey!" Sarah shouted from the helm, "Where do you think you and your mutt are going?"

Fido snarled.

Maleen didn't reply; she just smiled back in the same way that Sarah had smiled at her previously.

"Ready to go?" Pedro asked, holding out a rope for her; he held another in his opposite hand.

"Yes, but what's this for?" She took the line from him and held it as he was doing with his.

"Just follow my lead," He smiled; then jumped.

Maleen thought he was insane to begin with and nearly cried out for him to stop. But, just as she was about to do so, he swung upwards; onto the deck of his ship.

He waved for her to follow him and she did exactly as she was asked.

She held onto the line tightly between her fingers...

And jumped.

Jozan sat in the captain's cabin, wondering whether or not he should be there.

Sarah was strolling around the room, considering the offer he had given him.

"You know, I think I might just take into account what you're asking of me," She finally answered; stopping behind her desk and sitting down, casually, "but, remind me again; what were the terms?"

"I'm set free and tell you the location of the treasure and Jack; you get them both and I get ten percent of the spoils."

"Hmm..." She smirked, "And the crew?"

"Which crew?"

"The ones that came looking for Jack; what happens to them?"

"They're yours to do whatever you wish."

Sarah smiled again; "Brilliant; I'd love to give that black-haired brat a taste of her own medicine; she was far to insolent for me."

"Maleen?" Jozan asked, astonished. For some reason her name made something stir inside of her; he knew what it was, but try as he might he couldn't quite push it away. There was something...stopping him from going through with the plan all the way; something that he knew all about; but was trying his hardest to ignore.

"Was that her name? I didn't realise she had one – I'll stick a bullet in her as soon as I get the chance –"

"No; she's not to be harmed." Jozan hardly realised he'd thought the words before they were out.

"What?" Sarah asked, confused.

"You're not to lay a hand on her."

She came close to Jozan; so close he could feel her bitter-sweet breath on his face. It repulsed him, but intrigued him at the same time.

"And what, exactly, were you planning on doing to stop me?" She asked.

Jozan didn't reply.

"I don't understand why you're so protective over her anyway," Sarah added, leaning back in her chair again and giving Jozan some breathing space, "It's not as if she cares for you; from the way she looked at you last I can assume she wishes you dead..." Sarah cast a swift glance at Jozan; he was staring straight ahead, remembering the look of hatred that Maleen had given him. Somewhere inside of him, something had broken when he had seen that glance. It was a feeling he hadn't enjoyed at all, but could find no words to explain, "...But, I suppose, if you want to spare her life in order for her to take yours...I could understand where you idiocy came from..."

"Don't start insulting my father again; he did nothing wrong." Jozan said harshly; getting rid of his thoughts of Maleen instantly; he didn't need her. She didn't want him, and he didn't want her in return. She wanted nothing to do with him, and he felt the exact same way about her.

"Yes; you were the one who started the fire."

"Would you stop throwing that back at me?" Jozan yelled; standing up in his frustration.

"Ooh, someone's a bit moody today."

"Argh!" He sighed in exasperation, turning and heading for the door, "I've had enough of this! I'll go back to my cell and rot there for you; you'd enjoy that, wouldn't you?"

"Wait, Jozan!" Sarah said, standing up; it was an order, not a plea, "You haven't heard whether or not I agree to your terms."

He turned around, slowly, quizzically.

Sarah smiled in that evil way of hers; "So, whereabouts is Captain Sparrow and this 'treasure'?"

Jozan smiled; his plan was coming together after all; the only thing that was getting in the way, were the feelings inside of him.

The feelings of confusion.

Regret.

Abhorrence.

And love.

Maleen was on deck with Fido, watching the bustling crew move about around her.

She'd never really witnessed a crew work as hard as they were doing now. Each man was at his station, pulling ropes or running about to do other jobs that needed to be done in order to get the ship on its way.

"What do they all do?" Maleen asked Pedro when he came to sit with her; on a barrel near to the entrance of the captain's cabin.

"Well, I'll tell you the main ones – there are quite a few sailors aboard," Pedro answered, "That's my first mate, Jimmy; he's basically second in command and speaks for the crew on their behalf as well as sorting out any arguments between the sea men...Harry is the sailing master; he navigates for us, works out where we are, as that's not really my area of expertise..." He searched the faces for a moment, then pointed to a young man; probably about twenty, "That's Sam, the boatswain; he's in charge of the maintenance of the ship and has to report back to me each morning on the state of things...Joe's the carpenter as well as the doctor around here. He fixes the ship under orders of me or Sam and helps those who are injured or ill..."

"He does both jobs?" Maleen asked.

"Yes, but it's no trouble for him. There are few injuries aboard ship – most occur when in battle or unloading the cargo" – He laughed shortly before carrying on; pointing to each crew member in turn – "Peter's our master gunner; he's responsible for the ship's guns and our ammunition. This also involves sifting the powder to keep it dry, and making sure all weapons and cannons are kept in a good condition...Alex is our rigger; he works the running rigging and releases the sails – it's one of the most dangerous jobs on board...and that young lad over there is James; he basically does as anyone says and brings us gunpowder from lower decks during battle. He's our cabin boy and powder monkey - aren't you, Jay?"

The lad looked up and beamed at the two of them before carrying on with his work. Maleen couldn't help but returning the smile; he was a young boy – probably no older than nine – but he obviously knew what he was doing. His head was covered in a mop of soft blonde hair and his eyes were a brilliant dark brown. His clothes were simple – made of thin material – but were far too big for him. A large belt was holding his rolled-up trousers in place and his shirt was also rolled up at the sleeves. His feet were bare and there were a series of small, healing wounds all over them – James needed to be more careful where he was standing.

"So, what do you do?" Maleen asked, trying to keep the conversation going for as long as possible so she wouldn't be alone.

"I'm captain, of course – until Jack returns."

"He has his own ship." Maleen put in, "I remember; The _Wicked Wench_."

"He _did_ have his own ship," Pedro said, watching his crew go about their business.

"What d'you mean; 'did'?"

"I mean, he doesn't have one anymore."

"I figured that out." She scowled at him, not impressed, "What happened to it?"

"Cutler Beckett sunk it."

"What? _Why?_"

He looked at Maleen then sighed, "I think it's a tale your father had better tell you himself; I've never been good at telling stories anyway. All I'll tell you is that he did nothing wrong in my eyes; in fact, he did me the biggest favour anyone could."

"And what was that?" Maleen asked.

"I said your father had better tell you the story," Pedro answered, revealing a row of sparkling white teeth as he smiled, "but I'll answer your question – and that one only."

"Go on."

"He set me free."

Pedro had gone about his duty after that and left Maleen standing there; wondering what on earth he had been talking about. There were so many things she felt she had to remember and she just couldn't pick out the details which could link together with what Pedro had said - giving her the answer. Everything was just so difficult, so confusing. There were so many mysteries that were yet to be solved; and she could make sense of none of the clues she had been given.

It was getting darker now, once again, and Maleen had lost track of how many days she had been at sea. So much had happened in those days – she had come across others who were willing to help, then lost them for some reason or another, she had gone to strange islands and come close to death due to even stranger lizards, she had made enemies and friends and learned of so many things that her mind was close to exploding.

But, best of all, she had learned about herself. She had learned that she needed to protect herself in order to live and get rid of the soft, vulnerable feelings she held inside. She had learned that it was important to show no weakness – to anybody – and her mind had managed to do that one its own by now. In those years she had been living alone, inside her head had been constantly concealing away the things that would make her vulnerable; constantly changing her so that she was the same Maleen on the inside, but appeared completely different on the outside.

And she was just making a connection between her thoughts and Jozan – just about to fit two pieces of the puzzle together – when a loud voice broke her concentration.

"Land ho!" It called from somewhere high above; Maleen looked up to see Alex looking down at the deck, a smile on his features.

It couldn't be true.

Maleen smiled back at him, before running to the edge of the boat to see for herself.

And sure enough there was an island in the distance.

"We'll, here we are, Miss Sparrow," Pedro said, coming up behind her and smiling also, "Almost time to be reunited with your old man."

"Yeah," She whispered, "almost."

"Jack," Sarah said in her usual eerie yet cheerful way, "It's been _too_ long."

Jack stopped in mid-step; recognising the voice only too well. He hoped she wasn't here for a number of reasons – but if she wasn't here at all...well that would make everything so much easier.

He turned, slowly; gaining time to think of how to go about the situation.

"Sarah," He said lightly, smiling brilliantly as he always did, "how very nice to see you again. To what do I owe the pleasure of your sudden company?"

"I think you know exactly why, Jack," She said, taking one step closer to him; he moved backwards as well so they were still the same distance apart, "You have a little something that I believe you need to hand over; is that right?"

Jack pretended to think about her accusation for a moment – raising a finger for her to wait – but as he did so, he was trying to conjure up a way he could possibly get out of the situation.

"No, I don't believe that is correct," He finally answered, "Why would you think that?"

Sarah rushed forward, startling him slightly though he showed no signs of it. She managed to back him against the wall of a nearby shop – the same shop that he had just walked out of.

"I don't have time for your games today, Jack," She hissed in his face, "So either hand it over, or suffer the consequences."

"And...What consequences might they be?" Jack asked politely; but his voice wavered slightly at the end of the sentence as Sarah placed a gun under his chin.

"Frightful ones," She answered in a whisper right next to his ear, "So, Jack; what'll it be?"


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER 25**

Competition

Maleen stood on deck with Pedro, looking out at the island in the distance.

'_He's there,_' Maleen kept thinking, '_My father is actually on that island..._'

"It won't take us much longer to get there and make port," Pedro said, seeing her impatient expression, "You'll see Jack soon enough."

Then a sudden thought hit Maleen from out of nowhere and a sudden surge of sadness welled up inside of her. Sadness and dread blended together in a terrible mixture; making her unsure of everything she was doing.

"What if my father left me for a reason?" She asked, looking up at Pedro and searching for an answer in his dark brown eyes, "I mean...what if when we get there he sends me away?"

"I highly doubt that Jack would do that..."

"Simon said things about him though; said he used his fiancée as leverage so he would get away safely – what if that's the kind of man he is now? What if he's _changed?_"

Pedro took no more than a second to think over his answer; but even in that one short space of time Maleen felt her throat tighten in dread.

"You father has been called many things, but shallow is not one of them," He crouched so they were eye-to-eye and he took hold of her shoulder; trying to get the message through to her, "I know him well; maybe not as well as you do, but I'm familiar with him enough to know that he would never send you away. In fact, I think he'd be proud of you. You've taken after him in a few ways – some more than others – but I know for an absolute fact that he will be pleased to see you."

"But what if –"

"Can you think of one reason why he might of left you, and not wanted you to follow? Maleen, I know that he wanted to come back for you, I know for certain, you have got to believe me when I say –"

"How do you know?"

"Excuse me?"

"How do you know for certain that he wanted to come back for me?"

Pedro let his arms drop from her shoulders, "He told me," He answered simply with a shrug, "It's as simple as that."

"So why didn't he? What stopped him?"

"There were complications..." He muttered.

"What complications?" Maleen yelled, stepping away from him, "How can anybody expect me to understand all of this when they're not _telling_ me anything! Every answer I get is so vague that I might as well not of asked in the first place! Why won't any one just answer me properly for a change?"

Pedro stood and looked out to sea in one quick movement, "He made it clear when he was telling me what he'd been through that he hadn't wanted you to know about it."

"Why not?"

They stood for a moment in silence as Maleen waited for an answer. She didn't get one.

"Pedro, tell me," She said, calmly, "...please."

"Because he didn't want you to know what was going on," He answered after a moment, "He thought it was to terrible and didn't want you involved with such things at a young age – and he didn't tell you that he probably wouldn't be coming back because he didn't want to upset you."

"So...he lied to me?"

"It wasn't a lie, exactly," He answered, trying to find the right words, "It was...what he wanted to happen – his hope."

"So why did he think that it wouldn't happen?"

"He knew there was a high possibility that...he would have to...pay for his actions."

"What actions?"

"Well –"

"Cap'n?" A voice called from across the deck; Pedro turned towards it, grateful for an excuse to get away from Maleen and her questions, to see Sam jogging towards him, "Cap'n there seems to be a problem lower deck. Jimmy's trying his best to sort it out but it ain't lookin' good. He sent me up 'ere to get you 'cause he thinks he needs your assistance."

"I'll be right there," He answered; not asking what kind of problem it may be – a fight by the sounds of it. Sam nodded, then jogged back in the opposite direction – going to wherever the problem was lower deck, no doubt.

"But I haven't finished," Maleen protested, "I need answers – what actions did Jack have to pay for?"

"I think the rest of those questions are better answered by the man himself," Pedro replied, "I have to go and sort out whatever it is lower deck – it's late, perhaps you should get some sleep."

"Not tired," Maleen answered – the same words she had told Simon when he had suggested it to her. She sighed, "I'll see you around then."

Pedro nodded before disappearing lower deck.

Fido then came up to her; trotting in his usual way. He'd been fairly quiet since they arrived on the ship; sleeping for the most part, but she was glad of the company now. There was nothing she hated more than being alone on a dark, cloudy night. The wind was picking up to; little by little every couple of minutes.

She had no idea how long it was before she saw them.

It had been a while, that was for sure. It had got visibly darker and Maleen had ended up getting a lantern so she was still able to see. She had waited and waited for Pedro to return so she could bombard him with the questions she was supposed to save for Jack, but after so long she couldn't keep her eyes open and drifted off to a light, dreamless sleep.

When she woke once again she felt no better – the tiredness was still there just as much as it had been before – and she had no idea what had woken her. She also noticed that a telescope had been placed next to her – Pedro's doing, she presumed.

'_He must have retired to his quarters,_' Maleen thought sleepily, '_I wouldn't blame him really..._'

And just as she was reconsidering his suggestion to sleep, a little flicker of movement caught her eye.

They were much closer to the island now – so close that Maleen wondered whether to inform someone that they should prepare to make port. But, after noticing that Sam had returned to deck to keep watch, she decided against it; picked up the telescope and looked back at the island; looking for whatever had caught her attention.

And that was when she saw them.

She lifted the lantern in her spare hand – keeping the telescope pressed to her eye - to check she wasn't mistaken; and, sure enough, she wasn't.

It was them alright – she recognised most of the faces, but only three names did she know.

Sarah.

Jozan...Jack.

Maleen began to feel very cold inside – her horror sending chills along her spine.

And as it did, the lantern in her hand began to swing and then blew out because of the wind.

Jack had tried delaying telling Sarah where the valuable object was for as long as he could – and for a reason he couldn't quite explain.

There was no plan he could think of which meant he could get away.

There were no words which he could say that Sarah would be fooled by.

But there was a small feeling of hope inside of him – something which told him he needed to hang on as long as possible.

But, of course, Jack would have done that anyway – that was the kind of thing he did. It was his treasure; he had found it, he had gone looking for it, and he had figured out where it was being kept.

Sarah went about things in a much more pirate-like way. She heard that someone had gone after treasure, then followed them, waited for them to get it, then stole it from them – much less effort for the same reward.

And Sarah was also one of those people who wasn't afraid to threaten others. And therefore she wasn't at all hesitant in pulling back the hammer on her gun, and threatening to shoot him down right then and there – then taking the precious object from him herself.

Jack had a feeling she hadn't been joking, and thus reached into his coat pocket and brought out the object she had been after.

Little did she know it was not as valuable to her as it was to him.

"Much obliged," Sarah had said, smiling in that false-kindly way of hers. Then, as she turned, she spoke to her crew, "Take him down."

Jack knew what was coming but was just a millisecond to slow to react. Plus, he was outnumbered by far.

Yet, only one of the many sailors stepped forwards to Sarah's dirty work – and even though it was painful, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

A knee to the stomach, causing Jack to double over and a kick to the head, sending him to the ground – that was all. After that Sarah ordered him to be put in shackles; and Jack didn't struggle; he was a little winded and could barely move for a short amount of time anyway. They then hauled him to his feet.

"Was that really necessary?" Jack asked, once he had his breath back, "You know I would have come quietly if you'd asked me to."

"Somehow I doubt that," Sarah answered dryly; then inspected the object she held in her hand, "Is this a promise ring?"

"Aye but -" He answered, taking a step forward; the whole crew were jumpy and also moved inward in case they needed to attack. Jack looked at them, then at Sarah; but she was already saying what he hoped she would.

"Stand down you bunch of idiots," She snapped, "You're making me nervous..." She looked back at Jack, "You were saying?"

"But I think you'll find that the value of that little treasure is far greater to those who treasure the treasure that they have found, savvy?"

Sarah stared at him through narrowed eyes, "In English, please, Jack; some of us on God's green earth don't understand your gibberish."

"I'll give you an example," Jack said, as he began strolling around; his hands still in shackles in front of him; jangling as he walked, "The treasure that I discovered was a ring. And I treasure rings greatly but this ring I treasure more than any other treasureable ring because I believe that that ring is deserveable as a treasure. But" – He paused for breath – "I believe that I treasure that treasureable ring more than you, young miss, because I evidently find it to a great extent further enthralling and costly than you do. You, on the other hand, see it as a way to get wealth by trading it, or desire it only so it can sit on one of your dainty fingers and perhaps make you look a little more magnificent – I regret to inform you that a band such as this will do no such thing; in fact, perhaps the entire reverse."

"I haven't a clue what you just said, Jack," Sarah stated once he had finished, "but I don't wish for you to repeat a word of it to me. We have much more important things to discuss. A friend of mine and I have made a bargain between us – and, unfortunately for you, Jack, you were involved."

"What d'you mean by that?"

"I mean, Captain Sparrow, that if I sell this little trinket and give some of the plunder to my friend, Jozan, you're _mine_ for the taking."

He looked at her with his dark brown eyes for a long moment in a way that no one could put into words.

"Do you ever think about the two of us?" He asked, suddenly, "How we were together for that short amount of time?"

Sarah stepped closer to him again – uncomfortably close – then began to speak through her teeth.

"If I ever think of you," She said, in a way so cold that it made Jack wish he hadn't brought up the subject, "It's not of when I first met you, Jack. Usually, I dream of hanging you from the neck or some other horrible way of torture."

"Not often then?" Jack smiled, trying to cheer the mood with his everlasting optimism.

"No, it's often alright," She turned away, "But for now, we have bigger things to think about than our past."

"And what kind of things may they be?"

"Our visitors, Jack; didn't you know they were coming? I'm sure you'll be surprised when you find out who they are..." She looked over her shoulder to see his reaction; Jack kept his face straight; enquiring, "They're involved in mine and Jozan's little deal as well, you know – he says they are mine to do with as I wish...are you intrigued?"

"Not particularly," He shrugged.

"Oh but you will be," Sarah smiled, "Once you find out who's on board."

"And who might that be?" Jack asked.

Sarah smiled – even more deviously than before, "You'll see," She said, "and when you do, you _will_ be intrigued – very much so, actually."

"And what makes you so certain?"

She chuckled, "You'll see," She repeated.

And that was the end of that particular conversation...until Jack saw with his own eyes exactly what crew Sarah had been talking about.

Maleen had stood frozen at first.

She couldn't accept what she was looking at. She believed it couldn't be possible.

But it was true.

Sarah had gotten to Jack first – and Jozan as well; although she had no clue as to why he was there.

'_Traitor_...' A voice in her head whispered.

And after staring at what was before her, unblinking, until her eyes hurt, Maleen sprang into action.

She ran.

"Pedro! Pedro!" She shouted continuously, banging on the captain's cabin door with the side of her fist, "Pedro they're _here!_"

There was a thud from behind the door a few seconds before it opened – and long seconds they were, for Maleen – and a blurry-eyed Pedro stood, looking at her in a confused way.

"What? Who're here?" He asked, rubbing his eyes and trying to make himself more alert.

"Sarah," She said, her voice desperate to match her features, "They got here first."

Pedro looked at her for a short moment.

"Sam!" He yelled, walking out on deck to try and find the sailor, "Sam; where are you?"

"Right here, cap'n. What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me we were close enough to make port?"

"I just assumed we could wait –"

"Never mind. Get everyone up. I want everyone to their stations now – get to it, man!"

"Aye aye, sir," Sam muttered as he fumbled his way below deck.

And then Pedro grabbed the telescope Maleen was still holding and took a look for himself.

And as he saw the faces he recognised disappearing into the shadows an icy chill seemed to consume him from the inside out.

"However much I would love to stand around all night and wait for your little friends to arrive," Jack said, after they had been waiting for around fifteen minutes, "I'm afraid to inform you that I have other arrangements."

Sarah turned to him and smiled, "But, Jack, you still haven't seen them."

"Will I be able to meet them another time? In a couple of months perhaps?"

"I doubt it as I'm planning to shoot them _all_ to the ground" – another smile – "Where is it you were planning on going anyway?"

"Nowhere in particular..." Jack answered, nonchalant, "I just feel a little...restrained."

"Because of the irons?"

He nodded.

"Well get used to it, they're staying on."

"I was afraid of that," Jack muttered.

There was a moment of silence before anyone else spoke again.

"Oh, look Jack," Sarah said, smiling in that evil way of hers again, "Our guests have arrived."

Jack looked in the direction that Sarah was.

And, just for a moment, he didn't believe his eyes.

But it was also in that exact moment that Jack remembered what Sarah had been planning to do to this crew.

He hadn't cared before – had thought they were just some random others that he hadn't seen or heard of before.

But that wasn't the case.

Because in the faces he saw coming towards him, almost all of them he recognised.

Especially one – even if, according to his own logic, it was impossible for her to be there...


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER 26**

Conflict

Maleen didn't run towards him, like she had presumed she would.

She knew it would be risky. He was surrounded by Sarah and all of her crew – they could move faster than she could. If they got suspicious, all it took was a bullet...

And that wasn't what Maleen wanted in any way at all.

So she walked like the rest of them did; casually, with a determined face to show she meant business and possibly war if it came to it. She made as little eye contact with Jack as possible – that way she wouldn't be tempted to run to him.

But she still couldn't help but remember all of the questions she had been planning to ask him...

Why did he leave? Why couldn't she come? Why had they killed her mother? Did he still think about her? Did he even know that they had hung her? Did he care? Why had he used Martina as a hostage, and not cared for her safety in the least?

'_No, Maleen,_' She told herself, '_not yet. Wait until you're both safe; then you will have all the time in the world to bombard him with your questions._'

She bit down on the inside of her lip to make sure she said nothing. No one could tell she was doing it – her mouth just looked like it was pulled downwards into a stubborn frown.

"Stay quiet, and don't move unless I say it's okay to do so," Pedro whispered in her ear as they made their way towards the crew, "It's best we play it safe until we get Jack away from them – they have power over us at the moment."

Maleen nodded once, keeping her frown in place. She already knew that she would be expected to keep quiet – whether or not she would be able to just that was a different question all together.

As they walked forward, Maleen couldn't help but sneak a glance at her father; even though she told herself she wasn't going to do it in the first place. She had to know...she had to guess what he was thinking just by looking into those strange, sparkling, dark brown eyes of his.

Did he recognise her?

She couldn't tell, but there was _something_ in those familiar eyes that gave Maleen a small tingle; a feeling of hope.

Simon was right about him changing though. He was still the same old Jack she remembered, but there were obvious differences even from a distance. His clothes, for instance, were defiantly less tidy, and much grubbier. He still wore that faded dark blue coat she remembered, along with his brown, knee-high boots and leather tricorne hat. He still had the same tired, dark eyes and tanned skin and thick dark hair; but they had all changed in their own little ways – his hair was much longer, for example; now shoulder-length.

And then there were the more obvious differences.

His dark eyes were now lined thickly with kohl giving an effect that Maleen couldn't quite describe. They made his eyes look even darker – perhaps even sinister.

And then there were the many trinkets and beads and bones that were tied about his person. A long string of beads was tied to his hair on the right side of his face; with a metal object dangling at the end – something off a necklace, perhaps? It was hard to tell from the distance between the two of them. Another, shorter thread of the same kind – decorated with the same wooden shapes – was tied to the opposite side. A long white and red striped sash was wrapped numerous times around his waist, underneath his belt, before it had been looped over his scabbard; flowing out on the left side. His hands held more rings than before – there were three all together now – a gold one, a gold and black one and...

And there it was – the green ring that she had given him so many years before.

She didn't remember the markings clearly, but recognised it as soon as she saw it. The green jewel was still there; held in place by the four silver skulls that surrounded it. Only now did Maleen realise why it was a little ironic.

But then, just as Sarah started speaking, something else caught her eye.

A compass that was tied to Jack's belt.

But it wasn't just a compass – it was _the_ compass.

Maleen looked at it, amazed.

'_Not possible_,' She thought, '_unless..._'

Unless Simon had been right. Unless her compass had been a fake and Jack had had the real one, the 'magic' one, all along –

"You finally made it," Sarah sighed, smiling in her usual way as a greeting, "I'm so glad you could – I was beginning to get disappointed after a while. I thought you might have just sailed by and given up on your precious friend Sparrow, here."

"What will it take Sarah?" Pedro asked, "For you to hand Jack over?"

"It's Captain Hodnett to you, slave boy," She hissed, "And, I have no intention on handing him over to you – or anyone."

"Can I just interrupt for a moment?" Jack asked, stepping forth so he was involved with the discussion, "I just have a small question I would like to know the answer to."

"Go on," Sarah sighed, "But make it quick."

"I'm just wondering why two young people, such as yourselves; would waste precious time arguing over who I should be handed over to when other, much more valuable treasures are at stake here; savvy?"

Sarah shook her head and looked at Jack pitifully, "You don't get it, do you Jack?" she said, "The treasures mine – no questions asked. It's just your friend here would rather I _didn't_ kill you."

"_I_ would rather you _didn't_ kill me," Jack interjected.

"But, you see, Jack, as long as you're in irons and my crew is loyal to me; we're going to do things my way. Play by my rules. And that means that your opinion is insignificant."

"Hmm..." He said disapprovingly, "I've been called many things, but insignificant was never one of them."

"What is it that you want from us, Sarah?" Pedro asked, getting to the point.

"I want a fight," She answered after a moment, stepping closer to him, "A chance to show you exactly who has the upper hand here. A chance to show all of you" – she glanced at Maleen – "exactly what being beaten to the ground feels like." She smiled, before sighing and beginning to stroll between each member of the crew, "As I've already told my dear friend Jack here –"

"Dear friend?" Jack questioned, "So we won't be harming one another then?"

"I'm getting to that," Sarah hissed. She took a breath, "As I was saying...I've already told Jack that Jozan and I have a little arrangement. We agreed that if I let him free of the little prison cell in which I had encaged him and gave him some of the booty from the treasure I have successfully stolen from Jack –"

"That wasn't yours to take," Maleen interrupted her; unable to hold her tongue for any longer.

Sarah looked over at her with an expression that was a mixture of shock and disgust, "Excuse me?" She said, "Did I ask for your opinion?"

"It doesn't matter if you did or not; you got it."

"That's not the point though, is it, missy?"

"The point is that whatever you took from Jack isn't yours."

"It's not his either, though, missy. Treasure belongs to the one who holds it – it has no owner," She looked down at her, "You have a lot to learn about the pirate world, don't you, little one?"

"No, I haven't," Maleen answered, bravely, stepping closer to Sarah just to show she wasn't afraid, "From what I've gathered so far there are no rules – so that means nothing to learn. I know how to fight, I know how to argue and I know how to stand up for myself. I don't see what else there is that I need to pick up on...oh, and by the way; I'm not little."

"So," Sarah smirked, "you really think you and your friends have got what it takes to take me down?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I?" Maleen answered, keeping her face straight; determined to prove just how serious she was about all of this. If it was the only way she could get her father back; then so be it.

Jack, on the other hand, had other opinions on the matter.

"Just a moment," He said, and Maleen could just about notice the nervousness in his voice as he stepped between the two of them to grab Sarah's attention again.

"What _now_, Jack?" She asked in annoyance, "What else could you _possibly_ have to say about this?"

"You'd be surprised," He answered, before getting to the point, "I was just wondering why you're so determined to battle this group of people when everything you came for is already in your possession."

"I'll tell you why, Jack," Sarah whispered, "It's because it's fun – and I want to. And I _always_ get what I want."

"But don't you think –"

"Do you want to be the first to go, Jack?" Sarah asked; her sword suddenly against his throat, "or would you rather your daughter's blood was the first on my sword?"

"Take your hands off him," Maleen ordered, and realised that her own sword was suddenly in her hand. Sarah turned and looked down at it, "And step away."

"It looks like you don't have to choose after all," Sarah smiled; talking to Captain Sparrow, but facing Maleen as she spoke, "your little girl's decided for you." She crossed blades with her and smiled menacingly.

And as she did so, Maleen heard the sound of battle commencing around her.

The area was alive in a second.

It was as if the sound of Sarah and Maleen's swords clanging together was a signal. Once that pair of swords crossed, everyone else's seemed to follow.

Maleen couldn't believe what was going on around her. They were in the middle of a street, near the dock; for everyone to see. Back in Port Royal a battle such as this would have been stopped by the marines – but here, not one of the locals were looking out of their windows.

'_You have more important things to think about,_' Maleen reminded herself, glaring into Sarah's heartless eyes as their swords clashed together; once, twice, three times again, '_Remember those moves that had suddenly come to you where you were defeating the lizards. That was your practice – this is the real thing._'

It was hard to concentrate on fighting though. Maleen had never been in a real battle before now and soon realised that she needed to keep her wits about her - not only for her opponent, but for everyone else surrounding her as well. They could all kill her as easily as Sarah could if she wasn't paying attention.

It was hard.

None of the others seemed to think the same though. From what Maleen had gathered, each of them knew exactly what to do; where to stand, where to stab and when to shoot –

Maleen's train of thought was broken as a jolt went through her. Their swords clashed together once again as Sarah pushed towards her, with all of her strength, forcing Maleen to lose her balance.

'_Told you to concentrate,_' Maleen thought, and forced her brain into gear.

Sarah came at her again, but this time Maleen was ready for her. She had a strong stance and moved her sword perfectly in order to block the blow. Sarah failed to give her even a prick with her blade.

She scowled in annoyance, to which Maleen smiled back, before going for her again.

One, two three, heavy blows hit Maleen this time and they were so fast, she struggled to keep up. There was another pause as Sarah regained her strength...

'_No, idiot!_' Maleen told herself, '_This is your advantage!_'

But by the time Maleen had convinced herself to do so, Sarah was back up to speed again.

And this time there were no pause. Continuous blows came from every direction as Maleen tried desperately to defend herself. Sarah wasn't pausing for a second – she had no sympathy for Maleen at all. She was a girl, and that meant nothing to her. It didn't matter how old she was; she was an enemy, and Captain Hodnett was going to take her down.

Now Maleen was the one who wanted to get her strength back. Her breath was quickening and her muscles were aching with the effort of holding up her sword. With both hands on the handle, she still felt like the blade would slip from her in any moment – clattering to the ground some distance away; just like it had done in the alley.

Had that really been only the night before? Maleen could hardly believe it. So much had happened – so much had _changed_ just in those few hours...

Their swords made a horrible noise as Sarah grinded hers against Maleen's. Maleen struggled to hold her own blade up against it, as the Captain kept pressing towards her.

She had no choice but to hold it back, but her muscles just weren't used to this amount of work. Maleen's arms were shaking with the effort –

And that was when Sarah threw her final blow.

It was sudden – so unexpected that even Sarah herself looked a little surprised. She came back a few inches, before pushing forth once again, in such a short amount of time Maleen couldn't react quickly enough.

And that blow was what forced her to the ground.

Maleen hit the cobbled street with a thwack – her arms and the back of her skull taking most of the impact. She blacked out for a second – just a second – and, just as she had predicted; her sword clattered to the ground beside her; just out of reach.

When she came to her senses again, Sarah had the tip of her blade pointing at Maleen's chest. She tried to shuffle and grab her own sword, but Sarah was quicker and planted her boot on her out stretched arm. There was a slight crunch causing Maleen to gasp. No bones were broken, but it still hurt a tremendous amount – enough for her to stop struggling to get free.

And that was it.

She'd given in.

Sarah had won.

"I told you it would be easy," Sarah smiled down at her; her eyes even more wicked than ever before, "Now; any last words before I finish you off?"

Maleen looked desperately for help off anyone – anyone at all – but everyone she would have called to; Pedro, Sam, Jack, even Fido, were either busy or nowhere to be seen.

'_So this is it,_' Maleen thought, her heart racing; eyes wide in fear, '_this really is the end..._'

She looked up at Sarah once again and saw that malicious smile that made her nauseous. She had one hand placed on the hilt of her sword; ready to put pressure on so the cool tip of the blade would pierce Maleen's skin.

She pressed her foot down once again, causing Maleen to yelp.

She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the pain, the sadness and the frustration of never having her dream come true.

And then...

"I never really pictured you as a fighter, if you don't mind my saying so."

"What _now_, Jack?"

Maleen felt the pressure on her chest lessen slightly. She dared open her eyes to peek at what was going on – surely it was over...wasn't it?

"As you know, I don't like to interrupt –"

"I can't believe that."

"– but I thought you might like to know something..."

"You're trying to distract me, aren't you?" Sarah confronted him, removing the blade from Maleen's chest entirely. She breathed a sigh of relief, "I know you, Jack; you're going to wait until I'm off guard then take your best shot."

"Ah," Jack raised a finger to show he had a point, "That's where you're wrong. I thought you'd already be aware that when you're trusty crew planted these on me" – He indicated to the shackles on his wrists – "they took my weapons. And, of course, you should know from our previous dealings that I could never bring myself to harm a woman..." He glanced down at Maleen so quickly that she barely saw it. Sarah was oblivious to the small movement; Maleen, however, suddenly understood what Jack wanted her to, "...I do, on the other hand, have no problem with others who believe in doing otherwise."

And just as Jack finished speaking, Maleen used both of her feet to kick Sarah in the stomach. The force surprised the both of them and as Sarah fell to the ground, Jack quickly helped his daughter to her feet.

"Nice," He smiled, revealing gold teeth that Maleen hadn't noticed previously, "didn't think you had that much power in you."

"Me neither," She quickly grabbed her sword from the ground as Sarah began to stir, "But you might want to stay out of the way of everything – until you find a weapon and get your hands free, that is."

They smiled at each other, and Maleen knew she had to go. She had to keep fighting. It was slightly painful to know that there was no time right now to just talk with Jack – however much she wanted to. It wouldn't be fair on the others who were fighting for her. As long as Jack could look after himself – and Maleen was pretty sure he could – there would be no worrying about him; he wouldn't want that.

So with a nod, they went their separate ways. Maleen had decided to help out Pedro who was dealing with two of Sarah's crew at that moment – and even though she had no idea what she was going to do, she had a feeling that everything would be okay.

They'd get out of this – they both would – so there was no need for her to stand and look at him as if they would never meet again.

But Maleen couldn't help it.

Hurriedly – saying no words, as they weren't needed in the slightest – she ran forward for one, quick embrace; wrapping her arms around her father just as she had done so many years before. In that small second, so many memories came flooding back to her – so many times she had done this previously and she had taken the whole experience for granted. But now...now it was different.

She looked back only once as she headed off to Pedro's aid, and in that glance she saw something that reassured her every fear.

Jack smiled at her, the way he used to do, before he headed off in another direction.

Maleen had no idea where he was going, and didn't have time to ask.

And she didn't need to, because now she knew that everything was going to be alright – that the battle would go according to plan and each of her team would go home unharmed.

Little did she know how wrong her thoughts really were.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER 27**

Death

Pedro wasn't exactly struggling when Maleen reached him, but she could see that he was grateful for the extra hand.

He had two swords – one held in each palm with his fingers wrapped tightly around the handle – and seemed to be handling them well; knowing exactly when and where to place his sword in order to block whatever strikes his opponents were throwing at him.

"Reunited, I see," He said after a moment; looking at nothing but what he was doing.

"Hmm," Maleen smiled; as they began to work together, "It wasn't exactly as I'd planned, but I suppose you can never plan something like this out."

"You're right there," Pedro laughed, as he finished off the first of the two sailors they had been fighting. The second was then easy to take down. Maleen blocked his sword, then Pedro stabbed him through the stomach; "Did you manage to take care of Sarah?"

"No," She answered, "She got close to taking care of _me_ though."

"What about the treasure that they were on about?"

"Nope, didn't get that either – but I think my father's on the job."

Neither of them looked to see where Jack was, but they both knew that what Maleen had predicted would be right. Pedro knew what Jack was like when riches were involved; there was no doubt about him trying to win back whatever precious item Sarah had forcefully taken from him.

Maleen felt a strength in her now. She was no longer frightened, no longer weak. There was nothing that could stop her. There was no time to think about what she was dong – no time to regret the people she had killed. She had to kill in order to survive herself; that was just the way it worked.

She believed that nothing could make her any more willing; nothing could send any more adrenaline pulsing through her veins, ready to fight.

But then she saw _him_.

His dark hair was plastered against his forehead with sweat from the surrounding heat and liveliness of the battle. His sword was in his hand; ready for use. His eyes were dark and pitiless and a smile that was full of confidence was upon his features. It made Maleen loath just the sight of him. What he had done had changed Maleen's impression of him entirely. She had thought he was shy and a little timid to begin with, but obviously there was a rebellious streak about him. He'd never wanted to help her – that was what Maleen had gotten from his actions – all he had wanted was to was steal anything she had then ditch her.

And now he stood before her with that devilish smile on his face.

The traitor.

The thief.

Jozan.

"I thought you'd have figured out that I didn't want to see you again," Maleen hissed as they began to move in a circle; facing each other and staying the same distance apart.

"I thought you'd remember that I'm just that stubborn," He hissed back. Dark circles were around his eyes; he looked tired, as if he hadn't got any sleep at all that night. It made Maleen wonder for a moment what had caused him to stay up. Maybe he was worried about something, maybe he was planning something, or maybe he just didn't feel like sleeping, like she had to begin with – but then it came to her that she didn't really care.

Maleen glared at him though narrowed eyes. This wasn't what she had asked for today. The sooner Jozan was out of the way, the better.

"Let's get this over with," She said, "I don't have time for you and your natter."

"It would be an honour," Jozan answered through clenched teeth, taking a bow that would have been gentlemanly in any other situation. In this one, however, it was a mocking gesture that Maleen knew he only did to make her annoyed. And right now she didn't believe that getting even more annoyed was possible; but she managed it.

And then they began to fight.

Jozan took the first jab; intending to kill her straight away, but was surprised by how fast Maleen could move her sword in order to protect herself from the sharp point of his blade. She smiled at him, daringly, and he tried again – but the same as before happened.

"You thought it was that easy?" She asked, "I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

"You mean you're not as stupid as you look."

She glowered at him; then took her own turn at trying to tear through him. Jozan wasn't quite as quick as she was, but still managed to block her attack. She tried again, three times more, before taking a pause and trying at a different angle, but still she couldn't even catch his clothing. It was Jozan's turn to smile in accomplishment now.

"Give up, Maleen, you'll never beat me," He said.

"Ha!" She laughed, "You obviously don't know me well if you think I'll surrender just like that. We've only just begun; why would I give up yet anyway?"

Jozan pushed forward, forcing Maleen to back up or she'd fall. Her back hit stone and Maleen felt her head throb where she had banged it previously when Sarah had pushed her over. She ignored it, determined to win the battle and prove Jozan wrong.

Their swords grinded together as Jozan tried to tire her out; just as Sarah had done. Maleen, however, knew how to get out of the situation. It was exactly what Captain Hodnett had done to her, only a few minutes earlier. She built up her strength before holding her breath and pushing forward as hard as she could; channelling all of her energy into her arms. Jozan stumbled backwards, just as she had wished he would, but didn't fall as Maleen had hoped.

But as he regained his balance, Maleen decided it was the right time to run.

She knew she couldn't have stayed against the wall – the same thing would have just happened again – and the quicker she moved, the more time she would have to come up with a plan of attack. So far she was coming up blank, but then she hadn't had much time to plan anything.

It would have to be a split second decision then; something that came to her in an instant and was put to action in the next.

'_So no worrying about it now,_' she told herself, '_just keep yourself alive until the time comes for you to win..._'

Something caught her eye as she made her way down Silver Street. Most of the fight had spread out a little further onto the island now, but this street was deserted apart from Maleen. She stopped outside a pawnbrokers – a tiny little shop that looked cluttered even through the little dirty window. The sign above the door read 'Neil Parkinson's Pawnbrokers' with a picture of three rings underneath.

And suddenly Maleen had a flashback.

It was only small – a little sentence that she had forgotten even though she had been told about it the day before. Pedro's voice sounded in her head only once and those few words sent realisation as well confusion through her all at once.

"_...Some_ _business_ _man_ _on Silver Street owns a cluttered shop – inside should be one of the most valuable items in the world..._"

Maleen checked the street sign.

'Silver Street'

She checked the window again.

Cluttered inside.

She checked for any other shop on the same stretch of road.

Just a bakery on the opposite side of her.

But how could Jack have gotten one of the most valuable items in the world from a pawnbroker?

It didn't make sense. This was the only shop that he could have been in to get whatever treasure he had possessed, but Maleen couldn't understand how he could have gotten it from _here_. Pawnbrokers were places where those who were struggling for money, traded in whatever small valuables they had in order to get wealth to eat. Maleen had been in one a few times before after her mother had died – she'd needed the money – but had never gone to buy back her goods. She knew she would never be able to afford it; they bought them for almost half of whatever they were worth – which wasn't much – and then sold them on again for almost double the price.

So nothing at all could be of a great value in there – nothing that was worth any more than the amulet was. The amulet that Jozan stole from her...

"Are you going to continue looking at the scenery, or are we going to finish this?" Jozan asked from behind her.

Maleen jumped, but was alert at once. Her sword was ready in her hand once again and she cursed herself for not remembering why she had come down this street in the first place. But, however distracted she may have been, there was some sort of gene in her, perhaps, which made her ready for battle almost instantly.

She didn't stop to talk this time – not now. Jozan was trying to pull at her strings and make her his own little puppet, but she wasn't buying any of it.

As she spun around at the sound of his voice, Maleen took her first strike. She had taken him off guard, like she had wanted to, but once again failed to please her entirely. He still managed to block her blade with his, and that smile reappeared on his face just like before.

With frustration growing inside her chest she tried again – trying her hardest to fool him, but failing.

And then, unexpectedly, Jozan was the one who lashed out.

A jab to her side; which she managed to knock away. A swipe to her knees; which she easily blocked with her sword. A stab to her arm; that, once again, she managed to stop before it touched her.

But then he swung for her neck – so fast that Maleen somehow felt time slow around her. She couldn't get her sword up as a shield fast enough; and there wasn't enough space anyway – she couldn't have gotten it at the right angle before it hit her.

She found herself leaning backwards and trying to keep her balance at the same time – amazed that she could even bend that way. Instinctively she knew it was her only hope in getting away unharmed, as she was too late in stepping backwards and out of the way of Jozan and his deadly blade.

She managed it to, much to her own surprise; but only just. The blade just caught her throat as it flew over her – leaving no more than a scratch where it had clipped the skin. But then she felt a tug, just as she was about to be clear of the sword's sharp edge; a tug around her neck. It was quick, sharp, and a little painful, but left no mark behind.

And then Maleen was falling – unable to keep her balance for any longer.

She closed her eyes as she fell, preparing for the impact that she knew was coming and could do nothing about. And as she hit the cobbled road underneath her and felt the shooting pain on her shoulder blades where she had landed, she heard something else fall too.

A light clatter; similar to the sound of a coin dropping.

Maleen lay for no more than a second, before opening her eyes and trying to get up.

And as she did, that small mystery that had just revealed itself to her – the sound – was solved.

Because as she opened her eyes and placed her hand palm-down onto the stones underneath her, she immediately focused on Jozan – ready to fight as soon as possible. Her sword was ready in her hand once again, prepared to knock him down, but then she saw what he was doing...

And froze.

He was holding something – something silver and shiny – between his fingers; wrapping a thin chain between each of them over and over again until he was satisfied that it was tied securely.

And Maleen would have recognised that chain anywhere.

After all, she had worn it every day for the past eight years.

Realisation hit her like a ton of bricks and she felt her anger begin to grow. She knew it was her locket. _He_ knew it was her locket. And she wasn't about to just let him walk away with it. There was no way on earth that she was just going to stand and watch Jozan steal something else from her.

He was her enemy now; which gave her a reason to kill him.

He still hadn't realised she was aware of her surroundings – perhaps he thought she was knocked out, perhaps he was to fixed on looking at her locket to realise; but it wasn't really important at the moment.

The important thing was that he wasn't paying attention to her – he wasn't alert – and therefore she had an advantage.

It would have to be quick, very quick; and that was exactly what it was.

From on the floor, Maleen used her strength to kick upwards with all her might; planting the heel of her boot in his knee.

As he yelped in pain and was distracted for that split second, Maleen jumped up from the ground.

One, two, three; she struck at him with her blade – her anger being channelled into energy in order to help her win. Jozan wasn't as prepared this time; and therefore, Maleen was the better of the two.

She ignored the faint sound of footsteps at the end of the street as she knocked Jozan to the ground – thinking they were unimportant. Nothing was important now – nothing except getting her locket back.

Maleen smiled in accomplishment as she stopped Jozan from getting away from her by placing the tip of her sword against his chest.

And then she smiled for a different reason, and a glimmer of delight appeared in her eyes.

'_I did it!_' She thought, amazed, '_I _actually_ won!_'

She bent down at snatched the chain back from out of Jozan's hand – he let it go willingly. She then looked at it; inspecting it for damage, before clutching it tightly in her hand.

"Go on then," Jozan said, still keeping his bravery intact and looking her straight in the eye, "finish it. I'd rather you do it than any of the others."

Maleen looked back to her sword – still positioned on Jozan's chest. All it would take was a little pressure. All she had to do was push down on the handle of the blade and that would be it.

It would be over.

He'd be dead.

And that was what Maleen had thought she wanted. She had thought he would deserve to die because of his treachery; his dishonesty. But now, looking down at him and with the moment she had been waiting for right before her eyes, she realised something.

She couldn't do it.

It was so simple, so easy; she could get it over with in less than a second, but the thing was; she _couldn't_.

Something was stopping her from piercing Jozan's skin, and what annoyed her most was that it was that same something that she had been struggling with for days. That _feeling_.

But what was it? What did it mean? Surely it should be obvious to her, but there was that little barrier in her mind that was preventing her from knowing. Something that was...

'_That was trying to protect me..._' Maleen suddenly realised.

And it made sense, in some ways.

She had convinced herself that she should have no weaknesses now, because if she were to live on her own she would be vulnerable. And being vulnerable meant she could easily be killed in one way or another.

So her mind had instinctively blocked out whatever this 'something' was, in order to protect her.

So whatever it was made her vulnerable.

There was another piece to the puzzle she had been questioning, falling into place.

But then there was the question of what this 'something' _was_. This _feeling_.

She had come so close to it once before, but had been interrupted by something or another – causing her thoughts to scatter – and that was something else that annoyed her.

Along with the unexplainable reason as to why she couldn't finish Jozan off.

She looked down at him again and saw his expression was that of confusion. This didn't surprise her. She had been thinking for the best of three minutes, and when you're waiting for someone to kill you three minutes is an awfully long time.

And yet she still hadn't come to a conclusion – far from it, really. Maleen had stood, the grip on her sword loosening slightly and her anger slowly fading away, and as each moment passed by she had only realised more and more clearly that she wasn't able to do what she was about to. And then realised she didn't know why.

'_This is absurd,_' She thought, '_I can do this. I'll just close my eyes and get it over with..._'

She closed her eyes and took a breath –

And then felt herself being pulled towards the floor.

Instinctively, Maleen thought of her number one rule while fighting – never give your opponent an opportunity – but as she hit the floor, realisation did so too.

Jozan pulled her towards the ground so quickly she dropped her sword and it landed with a clatter at his side. Her body whacked the cobbled stones of the road beneath her, but she felt strong arms holding her tightly around the waist; preventing her from moving upwards, but stopping her from banging her forehead as well.

"What do you think you're –" Maleen began, as she tried to struggle out of Jozan's arms; but he refused to let her go. Her voice cut off as a noise echoed through the street.

Two gun shots.

Followed by a thud as someone hit the ground.

Maleen wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to see who it was, but curious as always tried to get up and look. However, as she began to lift herself of the ground, Maleen felt Jozan's arms tighten round her again.

"Just stay here," He told her sternly, and went to get up himself.

Maleen pushed him back down again, "If I'm not allowed to see, neither are you."

"It's not that you're not allowed," Jozan answered irritably, "You just won't want to know, okay? Now stay here, don't look, and I'll go check whether he's still alive."

"I'm not letting you go without me," She said, grabbing his arm and standing up next to him. He spun her around, so she still couldn't see who it was that had fallen, then grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Listen to me," He said sternly, "the longer you keep me here, the more likely that guy over there is going to meet death. Maleen, this is for your own good, just let me _go_!"

She sighed, about to give in – what was the point in fighting him when someone's life was in danger? – but then noticed something behind Jozan; something he hadn't spotted.

She blinked twice to make sure she wasn't seeing things. She wasn't.

Sarah stood there, looking powerful and triumphant as always, that horrible smile still fastened upon her lips, and in her long-nailed, perfectly smooth hand she was holding something.

It was relaxed in her hand, at her side, and was easily recognisable from the distance they were apart.

A gun.

Now they knew who the culprit was.

She'd seen Maleen, and was looking right at her with those pitiless eyes of hers.

"Good shots, weren't they?" She called, twirling the gun around her finger. Her voice caught Jozan's attention and he turned to look as well, "I was aiming for you, but little Jozee there moved you out of the way" – she smiled at him, he grimaced back – "that's alright though. One Sparrow's enough for me. I'll get _you_ next time..."

And then she turned and left; her boots clomping on the stones of the road, leaving the clues to click together in Maleen's mind.

There was no need to link all of them together. Just that one sentence explained everything.

"_...One Sparrow's enough for me..._"

"Jack..." She whispered in realisation and horror, looking up at Jozan. He stood and looked back at her with sorrowful eyes – sorry he could do nothing really to help - before running off in the opposite direction to which Sarah had left.

Maleen didn't turn to watch him go. She didn't really want to know what happened – or what the scene looked like.

Was he dead?

Probably. Sarah had shot him twice – usually, one bullet was enough to kill a man – and she was probably a good shot too. Only a good aim would have caused someone to fall to the ground the way Jack had done.

She didn't know what to do with herself to begin with. The shock made her...numb. She could do nothing but stand and replay what Sarah had said over and over in her mind.

"_...One Sparrow's enough for me. I'll get _you_ next time..._"

She wanted to see him – just one last time – but also didn't want that image of him to be planted in her mind. Because, if he was dead, that would be the last time she ever saw his face; and no matter how horrible it would be, she would want to remember it. Every detail.

And then she found herself turning round – her feet moving without her permission.

She kept her eyes low, to the ground, as she began to walk forward; still not certain as to whether what she was doing was right or not.

Did she really want to see this?

Did she really want the last glance of her father to be this?

Was this really the way she wanted to remember him?

That made her pause...

She had waited eight years for this day – eight long, hard years – and had spent every one of them thinking of her father as a hero; someone who was afraid of nothing and had no weaknesses.

But if she saw him now...that image in her mind would shatter. The good man she had imagined would be nothing and she would never know what kind of a man he had been in the end.

'_No,_' She thought, '_I don't want to see him like this..._' and began to turn back.

But only for a second.

She had to see him – she _had_ to – else everything she had been through would have been for nothing.

The many jail cells, the lizards, the village and the creepy skeletons, the arguments, the tears and the many, many injuries that she had collected along the way.

She had to see him. It was her last chance.

So, with that, she turned around again; her feet constantly moving along the cobbled street.

And when she knew she was almost there, she could no longer restrain herself...

She looked up.


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER 28**

Spilt Blood

She didn't cry, but Maleen felt her throat become tight and her eyes sting just a little.

He was just so _still_.

Maleen had never seen anyone lie so motionless; not even someone who was sleeping. She couldn't see his chest rising as if he were breathing at all. But this sight still did not put her off.

She found herself by his side; kneeling beside Jozan in silence as they both looked down and saw what damage bullets could do. The whole right shoulder of Jack's shirt was soaked with his own blood; the deep red colour also spreading to the hard stones underneath him.

Maleen looked down at her father's face; trying to ram every little detail into her skull so she could hold onto it forever. They'd have to leave shortly – the battle would soon be over; from what they could hear not many people were left fighting.

So that meant Maleen had to think of something else to do with her life – quite a hard task when everything she had been expecting to do in the next couple of years had just shattered at the sight before her eyes.

Because everything she had wanted to do; everywhere she had wanted to go, all the adventures she had wanted to have – going from place to place in search of hidden treasures – all of that had involved one person. And now that person was lying in front of her - lying motionless; unable to do anything.

And what surprised Maleen most was the fact that she wasn't crying.

She had shed so many tears on her journey – in pain and anger as well as sadness – but now, in one of the saddest moments of her life, she found that not a single tear would fall.

But she didn't care. It didn't matter.

What mattered was that these were the last moments she would get to spend with Captain Jack Sparrow and she needed to make the most of them.

Hesitantly, she reached out and took his hand in her own; surprised at how strange the action felt. It had been so long, so many years, and somehow it was unfamiliar to her.

"We don't have long left," Jozan said in a low voice, "he'll be gone soon."

Maleen felt her heart rate quicken, "You mean...?"

"He's still alive," Jozan finished for her; his voice now turning grave, "but only just."

"But, we can do something, right?" She said, rising just a little so she was no longer sitting on her heels, but rather having her whole weight on her knees, "W-we can get help...we can save him. H-he still has a chance. He can still live...right?" Maleen became desperate; her mind looking for ways in which they could miraculously cure her father. She searched Jozan's face for any signs of agreement, of hope, but found nothing.

And that told her more than any words could have done.

That sad, unmoving expression of blank certainty – that was what told her the truth.

There was nothing they could do.

It stung harsher than her brand had done, but in a different, more profound way. Something deep inside of her tugged at the realisation; causing an aching feeling inside her chest. It was amazing how having her initial thoughts confirmed hurt her so much.

She could feel the temperature difference between the two of them as she clung onto his hand again; clinging onto whatever else was left of him. Clinging onto those last few moments.

She could hardly see his breathing now. His chest moving no more than a few millimetres every time he inhaled. And his face; his face was unmoving whatsoever.

'_Dead..._'

The word continued to echo continuously around in her head. Maleen tried to block it out by thinking happier thoughts – but it was impossible to keep them away with the body of her dying father right in front of her.

She had never really wondered what she would think in a situation such as this. It had never really occurred to her that her father actually _would_ pass away; even though, right at the back of her mind, she had known it all along.

But her mind had never even suggested the possibility that Jack would end this way.

Two bullets – that was how he had died. It wasn't the most heroic of tales to tell – something that she wasn't too fond of. Maleen had always thought of Jack as a great man; and she had wanted everyone else to think of him in the same way.

But of course, that wasn't possible now. Those who thought bad of him, would think bad of him, those who didn't, wouldn't and those who had never even heard he existed never would.

Because that was the way life was. Millions died every day, Maleen knew it, and yet not one name did she know. And that was what confirmed it. That was what told her the simple yet somehow slightly upsetting truth.

No one else would ever hear of Captain Jack Sparrow.

And that got her thinking about those who did know he existed. All those people she had asked, all of them knowing a little bit about Jack and something he had done.

Martina, Sarah, and the group of men in Tortuga who couldn't help her with the whereabouts of Jack, as well as the two girls that they had been talking about – Giselle and Scarlett – Pedro to and, of course, Simon; all of them had known Jack at some point. Each had some sort of tale to tell...

They really would need a miracle to save him now.

She let her free hand fall from the side of her face – she hadn't even realised it was there – and collapse limply on her thigh.

And that was when she remembered it.

When her hand had fallen, it hadn't hit just cloth and flesh, as she had presumed it would. Instead, her bones had come in contact with something else, something hard that had caused her knuckles to hurt.

Tin.

A tin box.

A tin box that would fit in the palm of her hand.

She brought it out of her pocket and stared at it almost in disbelief. Maleen had never even considered that her luck might be that good.

"What's that?" Jozan asked her, still keeping his voice low and comforting.

Maleen didn't give him an answer – there was no time to waste – Simon had briefly told her the rules; the greatness of the wound and the amount of time passed after the skin had been first damaged could both drop Jack's chances of survival.

So there really was hope. There really were such things as miracles.

Hastily, Maleen got to work. She didn't hesitate to rip open the side of Jack's shirt that was crimson because it was so covered in blood. Being careful not to hurt him anymore, she used her sword – holding the blade rather than the handle for more control – to tear the fabric then threw the weapon aside. There was no clean water to wash out the wound and also no time to search for the bullet. She wrenched off the lid of the tin and scooped up as much of the mixture on her fingers as would fit.

She rubbed it around the wound first, but wasn't patient enough to wait until the next step wouldn't sting. Jack was in a state that he could no longer feel pain, she guessed, so at this stage, it didn't matter.

Maleen went back to the tin for a second time and covered her fingers once again; leaving a large smear of blood lingering in the tin because her hands were covered in the stuff.

"Maleen, what are you doing?" Jozan asked, urgently, grabbing at her shoulders to try and stop her; all of the comforting smoothness in his voice had vanished he was now looking at her as if she'd gone crazy.

"Get off me!" She yelled, elbowing him in the ribs as hard as she could and not looking back to see what damage she had done. As she worked, Maleen could hear the slight wheezing of Jozan; she'd winded him, but he would be fine.

Now she was becoming desperate. She covered her fingers numerous times in the mixture but still Jack's eyes didn't open. Nothing seemed to have changed about him other than the fact that the two bullets wounds were bleeding less. His breathing was still shallow and his heartbeat almost undetectable. His skin was still slightly cold compared to hers and that pale look on his face was still there.

And soon, there would be nothing left in the tin to help him with.

Soon there would be nothing she could do but watch.

And that was what ended up happening.

She ran her blood-stained fingers around the inside of the tin to collect whatever was left inside and help her father. It made little difference, but she tried it anyway.

And then she sat back on her heels and waited.

Because there really was nothing else she could do.

Maleen rubbed her forehead –wiping what little sweat was there away, but leaving a smear of blood. She then looked down at her blood soaked hands and wiped them on her shirt.

She could clean it off later; right now she had bigger matters on her mind.

"What were you doing to him?" Jozan asked as he came up from behind her and resumed his original place at her side, "and what _is_ that stuff?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. Simon gave it to me; even he didn't know the name of it. It doesn't matter now anyway; there's nothing left." She showed him the empty tin before dropping it on the floor in front of her and sighing glumly.

"So what does it do?"

"It's supposed to heal wounds," Maleen answered, looking back at the damage Sarah's bullet had caused, "but I don't think it worked this time...I think I was too late..."

"Maleen, this isn't your fault," Jozan reassured her, shuffling closer so they were nearly touching. He looked her directly in the eyes and Maleen could tell that his words were sincere, "No matter what healing remedies you had, your father's chance of survival was very small. His wounds were too great and he lost far too much blood. I know of few people who have survived a bullet wound to the chest or shoulder" – he noticed her head had dropped and used a finger to lift her chin again so she was looking back at him, carrying on with his words in a whisper – "This isn't your fault," he repeated, "it's Sarah's. And you've done as much as you can do in order to save him. Whatever happens next; happens. But I can promise you one thing; even if your father does die, you will _never_ be alone."

Maleen felt strange when he spoke those words and she would remember each one of them forever; she was sure. But what amazed her most wasn't that she believed him – that he had regained her trust – oh no; that wasn't it. What amazed her was the way it made her _feel_.

Everything, absolutely everything – those words, their meaning and her trust in him – filled her with a strange sensation as if he had touched an inner part of her soul. Reached in and known her biggest fears; and then promised that she had nothing to be afraid of.

And then he did something that was unexpected, but familiar all the same. After Maleen smiled back at him in gratitude and reached for her father's hand once again, Jozan reached to; except he wasn't aiming for the same thing as Maleen.

She looked back at him once more when he took her outstretched fingers in his, but this look wasn't one of gratitude. It was something else. Wonderment; that was as close a word as she could get.

But she did nothing to stop him; she didn't pull away, didn't glare or even say a word. She just accepted it, as the action was quite reassuring.

And so they sat there, hand in hand once again, and waited.

Waited for some miracle to happen...

Or perhaps for Maleen's worst fears instead.

But as they sat there, and night turned to morn, neither of them seemed to notice that Jack's breathing was the slightest bit deeper than before.


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER 29**

Mysteries

Sarah had gotten away quickly after what she'd done.

She'd seen no point in sticking around after that. She had what she wanted – the amulet – and could do without the ring; Jozan had it now. She'd passed it to him while they were waiting for the Sparrow girl to arrive and told him to keep it safe. He had done, she presumed, as she hadn't come across it again.

And it may have been worth some money, but she would gain a whole lot more with the gold amulet. Its jewels must be worth a million.

She'd just wanted to get her own back on one of the Sparrow family as well and that goal had been reached. Jack was someone that no one could ever love – especially her, now that she had her wits about her again – and the girl...well; she was just an annoying brat – somehow who deserved to be taught a lesson.

She had actually been the one Sarah was aiming for, but little Jozee had to go and move her out of the way at the last second. That was one of the reasons she hadn't waited for him to catch up – he had pretty much double-crossed her and she didn't want someone like that aboard her ship.

But Jack was dead, and she had the booty; that was what she cared about most. She had gotten her revenge and, in some ways, got a reward for it – and that was what she called a good deal.

And so now, as she relaxed in her Captain's Cabin in the early hours of the morning – the amulet on the desk in front of her – she felt powerful, happy and triumphant; because she had everything that she could want.

And that was when she heard a thump above her head, followed closely by a shadow falling past her window.

Sarah turned quickly in her chair to see whether whatever-it-was was still out there. But the shadow had disappeared as soon as it had come and her mind told her that perhaps the member of the crew that was on the night duty had dropped something over the edge.

But that still didn't explain the thump.

Curious and slightly concerned, Sarah decided to check that everything was okay; just so she could be certain that everything was as it should be.

Without hesitating, she grabbed the amulet off her desk – determined to keep it with her at all times – and made her way outside onto the main deck; readying herself to scold whoever was relaxing while on duty.

"Williams?" She called as the cabin doors closed behind her, "Williams, what was that noise I heard?"

There was no reply.

Belaying orders and not answering when spoken to – that wouldn't do at all.

"Williams!" She said again, making her way up the steps to the stern, where the wheel and Williams were – or, were supposed to be.

Because, as Sarah discovered as she approached, Williams was nowhere to be seen.

She huffed and her brows pulled down so there was a slight furrow between them. Where was he? She had never told him he had been relieved of duty; and even if he was, she would have ordered a replacement to be sent up at once; and there was no replacement either.

And that was when the wind picked up.

It was a breeze at first, coming from the starboard side of the ship and causing Sarah's long locks to pull back from her face as she turned to look in the direction it was coming from. And as she did, it seemed to get stronger; blowing her hair out behind her and causing the ropes above her to sway from side to side. The lamps that were scattered around the ship blew out; causing the ship to plunge into darkness. She could still see where she was walking, but only just.

Sarah narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking that the sudden wind wasn't exactly unusual, but more...unexpected.

And that was when she felt something pass behind her.

It happened quickly and she felt the movement of the air and heard the _swoosh_ as whatever-it-was brushed by her back. Sarah spun, expecting to see someone there, but found that there was nothing but the blackness of the sky above her. A few stars twinkled up there, but the silvery moon had been covered by a thick grey cloud; causing the night to seem even darker than before.

There was few ways of telling where the sky ended and the sea began; with the star's light reflecting on the still water. Only now and then was there a small ripple to show that they were on the sea, but Sarah felt as if the ship was just surrounded by black.

Maybe she was just being paranoid, maybe there was nothing out there and she had just imagined the shape that had seemed to be behind her. Tiredness did that to people – made them see things that weren't there – so maybe she was just tired and needed some well-earned rest.

But as she made her way back down the steps to the main deck, the shape flew past again.

Sarah whipped her head round to see what it was, but by the time she had spun it had disappeared into the night. She clutched the amulet tighter in her hand; the chain wrapped numerous times around her fingers to ensure that she didn't drop it and the wind made her hair whip around her once again.

Sarah looked around with wide, fearful eyes and didn't realise that this was the first time she had ever showed any fear. She was usually brave and fearless on the surface – but she usually knew what she was up against.

This time it was different.

Whatever it was that was so determined to torment her was doing its job well indeed. Sarah felt her heart banging against her rib cage; the _thump-thump_ rhythm unfamiliar to her. Her blood was racing in her veins. She held the amulet even tighter as if it would give her some comfort. It did not.

The shape flew past her again, this time knocking her shoulder and Sarah was shocked at the coolness of it. It was so cold, nearly as cold as ice and in her fretfulness to see what she was up against Sarah spun around to fast and lost her footing.

She hit the wooden deck with a thump and her grip on the amulet's chain loosened.

And then it appeared in front of her. What had being tormenting her - the thing that she had been so anxious to set eyes on.

It was so dark that Sarah couldn't see its face, and the black rags that it wore seemed to blend into the surroundings as well. The arms and legs, however, were pale; almost white.

And what Sarah was most shocked at was that it appeared human.

The crew were woken by the noise that later occurred, but none were quick enough to see why what happened, happened.

No one was on deck when the strange creature with wings flew off into the night, with the amulet's chain twisted in its pale fingers.

And no one was around to find out how Sarah died.

All they discovered were nasty wounds all over her upper body that looked like she had been bitten by a dog, perhaps.

And no one saw the strange creature leave with the amulet, no one found out what happened to Captain Hodnett and no one apart from the crew heard the scream of hers that echoed through the waves.

Maleen had no idea what time it was.

The sky was dark now and she had sat there for hours with Jozan and her father and Fido had managed to find his way to them in the end. The moon had been covered by a black cloud, but they could still see what was going on around them with the little light from the stars.

They hadn't spoken much at all during that time though, yet the silence had somehow been comforting. It somehow gave Maleen the message that Jozan knew nothing could distract her from her main priority at the moment and he understood why.

He shifted positions every now and then; getting up more than once – such as now - to stretch his legs. Maleen, however, stayed where she was; determined never to leave her father's side until he opened his eyes in case something should happen – whatever it may be.

And as the hours passed she studied him; looking at his face and clothes and hair and noticing all of those differences that she hadn't been able to take full note of before. There had been so much on her mind then that she hadn't noticed _how_ her father's hair had been different or exactly what he had tangled up in it to decorate it.

Because now she noticed that it wasn't just thick, it was dreadlocks – probably caused by many years of not combing the shoulder length hair, like it needed to be in order to keep it looking okay. Maleen thoroughly combed hers with her fingers when there was nothing else to hand; and that usually was the case.

She remembered how it had been before he had left though. He'd looked smart and professional and his hair hadn't been long at all. The dark strands had been scraped back and tied with some sort of ribbon or string, so they were out of the way and he could see what he was doing whilst sailing.

And of course his clothes had changed, but this had been obvious before. His shirt wasn't tucked in and had many rips in it – now an added one after Maleen had done her work – and many stains had scarred the cloth; most of which Maleen didn't want to know about.

His boots were the same though, as was his coat and waistcoat, belt and scabbard and nothing had really changed about his face. Yes, he looked a little older and yes, he looked a little more tired but wasn't that expected of someone who had been on the sea for eight years? Ships could be tricky things to sleep on with all the jobs that had to be done and constant alertness that was needed; Jack was supposed to be tired – if he wasn't, Maleen would have been amazed and perhaps the slightest bit worried.

Maleen couldn't stop wondering about the beads and the trinkets that were tied into his hair though. She'd recently discovered a bone which could perhaps be a rib or shin bone – off an animal, she hoped – and couldn't quite understand why he had decided to put it there. Why that bone? What was special about it? Did he just think it looked nice? Or did it mean something to him? Remind him of something?

And the same went for the rest of the charms. The many beads that decorated chunks of hair and the two small plats of his beard – which hadn't existed the last time Maleen saw him – weren't exactly what any other man would do, but it somehow suited him. It was part of his character in a way and now, after seeing him with those added trinkets, she found herself unable to even think that she wanted him to be rid of them.

"Is he doing okay?"

Maleen turned at the unexpected sound of Pedro's voice and smiled at him as well as she could. It was hard to be cheerful in such a situation though, and from his face, Maleen thought he understood.

"He could be better," She answered quickly as Pedro came and sat next to her, "How's everyone else?"

"Most of the crew are fine; only a couple of gashes here and there. We lost one man though – Edmund – I don't believe I mentioned him to you earlier."

"No, you didn't," She glanced up at him and felt her eyes begin to tingle a little, but was determined that no tears would be shed unless the worst should happen.

Pedro looked down at her and she could tell just from that look that he wished there was something he could do, something he could say to just make everything better.

Because Maleen wasn't the only person in the world that actually _did_ care for her father. There were people, unlike Martina's father, who believed Jack was a good man; and Pedro was one of those people. For Jack had done a great favour for Pedro; he'd set him free. But from what, she was not sure – and was also yet to discover.

"Pedro, I'm scared," Maleen admitted quietly, still looking at him and using everything she had inside of her to stop those blasted tears from falling. The words she used made her feel so small, so childish and weak – everything that she was determined not to be – but it was exactly how she felt. Those three words were all it took to explain exactly how she was feeling, and yet she also felt that they just weren't enough to describe all of the emotions she was still trying to hold back.

"I know," Pedro whispered back, "and you have right to be. It doesn't matter what each individual is scared of; everyone has a little part of them that's afraid of death – however much they may deny it."

"But aren't they scared of their own death? Usually," Maleen enquired, looked down at the stones beneath her; only now did she realise that come morning they would have to move out of the middle of the road.

"Yes, I suppose, but there must be someone in the world that each man or woman is scared for. Even Sarah must have somebody she would be upset over if she lost; or perhaps someone she already lost."

"That might explain the heartless behaviour," She muttered, there was a long pause as she thought over what to say next; "She was the one who did it, you know."

"Who? Sarah?"

Maleen nodded, "But she hadn't intended to, at first; even though she was still happy with the result" – she glanced at Pedro who encouraged her to carry on – "She'd been aiming for me initially, but...I managed to get out of the way."

"You managed to dodge a bullet?"

"Well, technically Jozan pulled me out of the way just before the shot was fired."

Maleen watched as Pedro glanced in Jozan's direction, following his action only a few seconds after. She saw him scuffing his boots on the stones of the road a few meters away; stands of his hair hanging over his eyes and was surprised that she had that _feeling_ inside of her again.

"That's pretty impressive," He said in a mutter, almost to himself, "How did he do that?"

"I supposed that he just saw Sarah aiming the shot," Maleen shrugged, glancing back down at the ground, "and grabbed me as soon as he realised."

"Hmm, figures," Pedro smiled faintly, before finally looked back at Maleen.

She stared back at him with eyebrows pulled down slightly; confused by his words. But Pedro just looked back at her, before staring straight ahead, and leaving no other explanation to her unspoken question.

There was a long moment of silence and Maleen glanced down at Jack's face once more. She didn't bother questioning Pedro; there was really no point and she was just so tired by now. She hadn't slept properly at all that night and could hardly believe that it would be sunrise in just a couple of hours. The battle couldn't have lasted long at all.

She tightened her grip slightly on Jack's lifeless hand and suddenly realised that there was warmth in it once again. He still looked pale from the amount of blood he had lost, and that was to be expected, but what she was most pleased to see was that his breathing had got deeper.

It made her feel so much better inside and a small smile spread across her face. She felt a warmth in the centre of her stomach and there was always that little voice of hope that whispered to her now and again words which made the whole world seem a little brighter.

'_He's going to be okay..._' It whispered this time and Maleen believed that it was right.

She glanced around at the street they were in and found that she could see greater details now they were no longer in so much darkness. As the sun was only a few hours away from rising, small, almost insignificant rays of light were managing to find their way across the street. It may not have been much, but after spending so many long hours in the darkness Maleen was thankful for it.

She could see the different colours of every cobbled stone there was on the road, she could see the bricks in the many houses that surrounded her and there was piles of hay and tools that Maleen had never seen before in her lifetime. There was a wooden cart, stocked up with crates of goods that had been badly covered by a canvas sheet, chimneys and tiles on every rooftop that was higher than Maleen had believed at first. The bakery that was a few yards in front of her had a sign above its doorway with a painting of a loaf of bread on it and it squeaked ever so slightly when the slight wind blew up Silver Street. Three sacks of flour stood outside of the doorway – obviously not brought inside or around the back before closing time the day before. A brown and black cat crept out from behind them, but soon darted off around the corner when Fido barked at it. Jozan was standing just a few feet away, witnessing everything and Maleen noticed him smile when the cat ran off.

And that was when Maleen remembered something.

"We'll have to move soon, won't we?" She asked Pedro, looking up and seeing that the stars were no longer in the sky, "The village will be waking up soon and I doubt they would want us in the middle of the street when they do."

"Indeed," Pedro agreed, standing and stretching out his muscular arms in front of him, "and the crew will probably be wondering where we are. I told them to wait for us, but Sam or James will be worrying about us soon. I guess I'll have to carry him though, if he hasn't woken before the town awakes or a member of the crew gets here. I'm sure the villagers don't want some old guy bleeding any more on their street."

"And which 'old guy' would that be?" Muttered a voice beside Maleen; causing both she and Pedro to glance down in relief, "Not me, surely as I'm not old."

Pedro crouched down again and clasped Jack's left hand in his own. Maleen held on to the other as the two of them got reunited once more.

"Jack, my man, nice to see that you're still alive," Pedro smiled.

"As always, mate," Jack was still lying down and his own smile was weak, but it was noticeable that he was genuinely glad to see his friend, "you know I don't like to disappoint."

He then turned his head to look at Maleen and she felt her stomach tighten with nerves. And, to her surprise, he didn't joke like he had done with Pedro. Instead, his voice was genuine and husky, "Nice to see you again, too, of course...m'lady." he nodded once and did that all-familiar smile of his – that small, crafty smile that reminded Maleen of when she was a little girl.

"I'll give you two a moment," Pedro said, stepping back and heading over to Jozan by the bakery. They weren't far away, but the slight privacy made Maleen feel a little more confident.

"How bad is it?" Jack asked, glancing at his shoulder where the two bullet wounds were.

"Not pretty," Maleen answered truthfully, "but it could have been worse."

He raised an eyebrow, inquisitively.

"A friend of mine gave me this a few days ago," – Maleen let go of her father's hand and picked up the empty tin from the ground – "it's a healing remedy, I think...and it worked as far as I can tell."

"Which friend? The boy?" Jack rolled his eyes in Jozan's direction.

"No; Simon – I believe you know him; as well as his fiancé, Martina," Maleen answered knowledgably, and then realised that the two of them were probably married by now; wanting to do it as soon as possible and all.

He chuckled, "Hmm; that I do. He has gotten over it from what I could tell last time I saw him. He knocked me right out at Tortuga a few days ago."

_Click,_ another piece of the puzzle fell into place.

Of course! Who else could it have been? Maleen knew she'd recognised those rings from somewhere, and the boots had been vaguely familiar as well. At the time there had been so few words that she hadn't been able to pick up on Jack's voice well enough; but now, as she looked back, Maleen couldn't come to grips with how she could have been so _stupid_.

"That was _you_?" Maleen asked, shocked; it was more of a statement than a question, "_You_ were the one that Simon...?"

"Indeed, I was."

"Did it hurt?"

"Considering I didn't get up for a while, do you really need _me_ to answer that?"

"I guess not," Maleen sighed, laughing slightly at her foolishness, "but if I'd found you then, I might've been able to stop Simon from giving you a bloody face and you wouldn't have had your shoulder blown to pieces."

Jack went to shrug but winced when he moved his wounded shoulder, making Maleen smile just a little for no particular reason. It was then that Pedro returned, Jozan dragging his heels behind him.

"Ready to go, Jack?" He asked, "I just talked to the baker who owns that shop and he said he'll be opening soon. I think we'd best be on our way."

Jack was already sitting up – or getting there, at least – and keeping his injured arm close to his body; holding it with the other in order to prevent much weight being put on his shoulder. Pedro gave him a helping hand and he was soon on his feet again - even though a little woozy. And although he had accepted help when standing up, he drew the line at having to be carried or having to lean on someone; insisting on walking himself.

"He likes to keep his dignity intact," Pedro whispered to Maleen when Jack was out of earshot, "but don't worry about the drunken swagger; that's normal."

"Normal?" Maleen questioned in the same hushed tone.

"It's because he spent three days on a desert island with nothing but rum," Pedro answered quickly, "and before you ask," he added, seeing Maleen was about to open her mouth, "I'll tell you the details later."

They began to walk, but just as she set off Maleen noticed the pawnbroker's out of the corner of her eye, causing her to pause; her curiosity niggling at her again.

'_Some other time,_' She told herself, '_now isn't the time for questions._'

Tearing her eyes away from the cluttered shop window, they turned the corner of Silver Street and headed straight for the dock.

But Jozan didn't follow straight away. Instead, he held back for just a second.

And in those few moments, he took out the promise ring that he still had in his pocket and took a long look at it; the golden band with the tiny glass gem inside and worn, ageing edges.

Because he knew this was the last time he would ever get to hold it as his own.

Maleen had been right; the ring belonged to Jack. It was his treasure, he'd found it fair and square and it hadn't been right to just steal it from him – however pirate-like it may have been.

So he was going to do the right thing and hopefully – if everything went to plan – gain back Maleen's trust once and for all.

Because she was the one person in the world who Jozan cared for now. After the incident with Amy and his father now hating him for what he had done – and rightly so – Jozan was determined to do something _useful_ in his life.

So the past would be put behind him and the future that was waiting for him would unfold; like the pages of a book being turned as somebody read them.

And with that last thought still in his mind, Jozan tucked the ring back into his pocket and ran to catch up with the others; hoping with everything he'd got that maybe – just _maybe_ – someday, Maleen would feel the same way about him as he did for her.


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER 30**

Sunrise

Maleen stood at the bow of the ship, her arms crossed as she leant on the rail as the golden rays of the rising sun made her hair and face glow and warm up just that little bit more. The sea was calm, with just the occasional lapping of the waves as they hit the wooden ship, and the wind was hardly noticeable, but it was there.

It was tranquil; a beautiful scene to behold and something that Maleen had never really appreciated before that moment. But then again, before now, she hadn't had the one thing she had wanted.

And even though he had run out on her mother and herself, Maleen could only hope that Jack had a _real_ reason for not returning like he promised. She wanted to know the answers to so many things, but this question was the most important to her. Why had he left and why did he presume that there was a chance he would never return?

Many people had told her that Jack was the right man to answer her questions properly, and that was why she was waiting. Waiting that little bit longer.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jack asked, and Maleen turned to see him standing with a large piece of cloth holding his arm in a horizontal position against his stomach; supporting it, like he had been doing earlier by himself. She smiled when she saw him, before turning back and looking at the view they were admiring.

"Indeed," She said, "I've never really noticed before now."

He stood next to her and leaned against the rail casually, turning away from the sun so they could see each other just a little better.

"How's the shoulder?" Maleen asked, glancing down at the cloth that was holding his injured arm in place. She winced slightly, noticing that it had small spots of blood on it.

"Better by the minute, you know," He said cheerfully, wiggling the fingers to show that at least he could do _that_ without it hurting, "Oh and, this isn't mine" – he indicated to the stains Maleen had just noticed – "Joe just said it was the only thing he could find; he said it'd help. It's supposed to take the weight off it, I presume; and it's working."

"You gave me quite a scare, earlier," She admitted, "when it happened, that is. I thought that everything I'd been through would have been wasted if the worst happened. I thought..."

"You thought death'd catch me?" Jack smiled, "Shows how much lack of faith you have in me. I thought I told you when you were younger that I'm going to live forever, didn't I? I wasn't kidding, you know."

Maleen laughed, "And I thought I told _you_ that it just wasn't possible."

"Anything's possible, darling," He said, "and I believe that there simply _must_ be a way to become immortal."

"Well you believe what you wish," Maleen answered, "however I shall not be joining you on that journey."

"And why's that?"

"Because it would be pointless."

"How so?"

"There'd be no treasure, would there?" She asked him, but didn't wait for an answer, "Unlike today there would be nothing that we can actually hold; nothing that was _worth_ anything."

"Don't you think that if you found something that made you _unable to die_ with no consequences, it would be worth far more than just a ring?"

"A ring?" Maleen questioned.

"Yes, that was what Sarah was after; waste of time, if you ask me."

"But Pedro said it was one of the most valuable objects in the world and that you got it from a shop on Silver Street; and the only shop there was a pawnbroker."

"Your point being...?"

"How can you find one of the most valuable items in the world in a pawnbroker?"

Jack chuckled, "As I told our dear Sarah, the treasure is more valuable to me than it is to her...oh, and that reminds me; I brought you a little something," he slipped his good hand inside his coat, with that devilish smile on his face yet again, and produced something from the inside pocket. He held it between his thumb and forefinger for a moment, before taking Maleen's hand and placing it in her palm. She looked down at it, then back up at him; amazed.

"Is this...?"

"The ring?" He finished, "Aye, it is – and it's yours. I was going to give it to you on the day I left, but forgot to."

"But...I thought Sarah took it," Maleen whispered, looking down at the gold band again.

"Aye she did, but whilst waiting for _you_, she gave it to _Jozan_, who gave it to _me_ just before I came up here to talk to _you_...savvy?"

"I still don't understand why it was in a pawnbroker though," Maleen said.

"Because I left it there," Jack explained, side tracked, as he began to wander around the deck a little; looking for something, "A few months ago, I passed by this island and was in need of money. Saw the shop and gave in something I could afford to lose – but wanted to get it back, of course – it was mine - so I did."

He rummaged around in a nearby crate with his good arm, frowned, and then moved on to another, "I guess you'll want to keep it then," Jack added, "seeing as though you still have that necklace I gave you."

Maleen glanced down at the chain around her neck that she had successfully managed to fix with a little bit of string and patience. It hadn't taken long, but she couldn't have clicked the links back together as a few had been broken when Jozan had sliced at her neck. It made her smile when she saw her initials on the dull surface – the shine now ruined after everything it had been through in the past week or so - and realised that, having something else to remind her of Jack wouldn't be that bad at all. She opened it and looked at the small picture inside; the parchment had been ruined and the picture was hard to make out.

"Ah ha!" Maleen heard Jack say, and she turned to see him lifting a bottle from one of the grates; delight showing clearly on his face, "knew there was some around here somewhere."

He walked back over to her, removing the cork from the bottle using his teeth, before spitting it out over the side of the ship and taking a long swig. Maleen waited patiently, but couldn't help but stare at how thirsty he seemed to be.

"So what's going on between you and that lad, eh?" Jack finally asked, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve.

"What lad?"

"You know that Joseph fellow...or Jamey or...Jacob or...something..."

Maleen looked up at him, "Jozan," She corrected, "and what do you mean by that?"

"He obviously likes you, I was just wondering..."

"Whether I like _him_?" Maleen stared at him in disbelief, was this what Pedro had been suggesting earlier? She didn't love Jozan...or, at least, she didn't believe she did, "He doesn't love me anyway - not that it matters – we're just friends."

And that was when she suddenly realised it. There was no longer hatred when she said his name there was no feeling of betrayal. She'd forgiven him and, yes, she did think of Jozan as someone she could trust – a friend.

But how she had managed to get over the hatred so quickly was another mystery she now wanted to solve; something she would never, truly, get to do.

"He seems like a nice lad, though. Pirate, yes, but a good one at that –"

"I'm not looking for love," Maleen interjected, not harsh, but just letting Jack know that she wouldn't change her mind.

"Sometimes that's the best way to find something; by not looking for it."

"Depends on what you're looking for," Maleen replied, and looked up at him with glint in her eye; hoping he would take the hint.

There was an awkward moment of silence as Jack looked back at her, thinking about what she'd said, no doubt, and wondering what it meant – or wondering whether to explain why he had left. But, instead, he changed the subject back all together.

"Well, are you going to put it on or not?" Jack asked, looking down at the ring that Maleen was fiddling with between her fingers, "If you don't like it I believe it will look just as good on one of my hands rather than yours..."

"No, I love it," She assured him, and slid it on the middle finger of her left hand, before he had chance to take it from her, "See?"

"Hmm," Jack said, smiling, and then taking another swig from the bottle; this time for not as long. He turned in the process, drawing Maleen's attention to an object that swung from his belt as he did so.

And another question popped back into her head.

As well as all the memories that lay behind it; the island, Simon, the river and the bridge and the lizards – all of them came flooding back to Maleen at once making her look up to her father's face once more.

She stared at him for a while intently, while trying to come up with the answer on her own.

"What?" Jack questioned, looking about him.

"The compass," was all Maleen said.

Jack glanced down and then looked back at her, confused, before his eyes lit up as everything became clear again. He smiled devilishly and took another sip from his bottle.

"So you lost it, ay?" He finally said, "Honestly I didn't believe you would. But my dear lass, I must tell you that this" – he pick up the compass that was hanging from his belt – "Is not the same compass as I gave you before."

"I know," Maleen said, almost regretfully, but not quite, "it was a fake. Simon said something about the actual one having something special about it - something that I just can't believe to be true unless I see it for myself." She looked up at him, indicating that she wanted to see whether the stories Simon had told her were, in fact, true.

Jack tilted his head back and looked down at her, quizzically, "In some ways, you've not changed a bit since I last saw you," He muttered, before smiling with just one corner of his mouth and pulling the compass from his belt – without even looking at what he was doing. He handed it to her, the latch undone and lid open and kept looking at her, to survey her reaction.

Maleen took it with little hesitation and handled the valuable object with such care that it looked like she was afraid it might turn into ash in her fingers. She held it with both hands - cupped around it as if she were trying to hold water rather than a compass - and looked down at the swinging needle.

It spun for no more than a second before showing her exactly what she wanted most in this world.

And whatever it was somewhere out to sea; somewhere near the rising sun; somewhere on the horizon. And even though she had no idea what, who or where it was, it made her smile at the irony of it all.

She thought she was complete now, but obviously there was something else in the world that she thought she needed. But that was the way it went, wasn't it? There was always something that everybody wanted; be it something small and simple as food; or something large and expensive like a palace. Or, like in this case, something that they were still unsure on.

Maleen closed the lid on the compass and handed it back to Jack, as carefully as she had taken it from him.

"No questions?" He asked, surprised, "Aren't you interested as to what it was pointing to?"

"Not particularly," Maleen answered, surprising herself by how coolly and honestly she answered; usually her mind would have been brewing with questions, "I think I can wait a while before finding out what it is. I'm happy for now."

Jack gave her his gold-toothed grin once more, "Ha, I guess some of your mother did pass down to you then."

"And by that you mean...?"

"She was never that curious about things either; believed that some things should just be left where they are...unlike Sarah, who never leaves any leaf unturned. Never has done, never will."

"Why was she so harsh with you?" Maleen asked, remembering the scene from when Sarah had Jack in shackles when, really, he was never any threat to anyone.

"Sarah? Oh, she's always been harsh," Jack took another swig from his bottle, "Ever since I first met her; she's not changed much at all."

"How'd you two meet?" Maleen asked, still curious as to what her father had been up to for the past eight years.

"Tortuga, of course; where else? And we took quite a liking to each other; got along better than most other people I meet," He took another swig from the bottle he still held in his hand; less than half its original contents now remaining, "but, of course, all that changed after I left her; as it does, I'm afraid to admit..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up a second," Maleen said, shaking her head, "what do you mean 'left her'? Were you together or..?"

"For a time, yes," He answered, "not that it's any of your concern," He examined his finger nails briefly.

"So...she liked you...once?"

"Of course. Who doesn't at first glance?" Jack revealed his gold teeth again, cheekily, "but, I feel kind of bad now, because of your mother and all - I didn't realise that Cutler Beckett would go back on his word – how is she, by the way?"

Maleen looked at him, searching her father's face for any signs of telling a joke. She couldn't believe that he could be so cruel, if he did know. Jack wasn't like that...was he?

"You mean, you don't know?"

"Know what?"

Maleen stared at him for a moment, sorrowfully, and wishing that by some means she could make everything how it was supposed to be – wishing that she didn't have to show Jack the truth about her mother. She didn't know how he would take it – how he would accept it – but there was no real way of avoiding it now.

Without a word, she pulled the worn letter out from the sleeve of her shirt once again and Jack watched with a growing expression of suspicion and confusion. She handed the thin, weathered parchment over to him and he took it without taking his eyes off her face at all until the letter was in his hand.

Using only his good arm, he unfolded the parchment and took one last look at Maleen's worried face before reading the words that she had managed to memorise.

Maleen watched as his eyes skimmed the paper, guessing what words he was reading at the same time. She watched him, expecting a reaction, but found that his face just stayed thoughtful and stern.

After no more than a minute – even though it seemed much longer as the seconds ticked by slowly – Jack refolded the paper and handed it back. Not one word passed through his lips and that far-away, thoughtful expression remained.

More seconds passed and still there wasn't a sound from either of them. Maleen began to feel worried as Jack looked out to sea, thinking – seemingly not remembering she was there at all.

"I'm sorry," Maleen finally said quietly, unsure as to why she felt she was to blame.

Jack looked down, at the waves below, but didn't look back at her; not even a glance, "Don't be, sweetheart," He replied, in the same hushed tone, "it isn't your fault."

And then there was a long silence. One that seemed to last forever; the seconds stretching longer and longer as each one ticked by. Maleen had no idea what to say. She had never needed to comfort her father before. He had always been Captain Jack Sparrow; the brave and the fearless. But now, seeing him look so sad and...almost lost, Maleen had no idea what to do.

She stood and waited for a while; waited for him to say something. But he still didn't speak. Instead, he just drank; going back again and again to get another bottle of whatever it was he was drinking. It was only when there were seven empty glass bottles at his feet did he finally turn to her once again.

"What are you planning on doing next?" He asked; his voice was still low and he was looking out at the horizon. His eyes were still slightly distant, but Maleen was glad that at least he was trying.

"I'm not sure," She answered, smiling slightly, "I was just concentrating on getting here. It was that hard and challenging and there were so many people who told me things about you that there were times where I just thought about giving up, to be honest with you."

Now he finally did look at her properly and now his expression was somewhat confused; "Why's that?" He asked.

"Well, to begin with I thought it was impossible. I couldn't imagine where I would even start to look for you and even if I did, I would never know of any way go get to you. And then I was told things by people – bad things – about you. And because of what they said I thought that maybe it wasn't worth all the hassle of coming to find you – but that wasn't it."

Jack looked at her, urging her to go on.

"I was scared."

He leant back a bit, still looking at her in curiosity and waiting for further explanation.

"I've always thought of you as this...brilliant man who always did everything right and you weren't scared of anything – and after you left that image only grew stronger. I thought that you were always there for me - even though you were out at sea – and that you'd help me if I needed you...I guess...I guess I was worried that you'd changed. That what Simon had said would be true and...you wouldn't be the same Jack you used to be," She looked at him, straight in the eye to make sure that her words were clear to him, "I was afraid that the great image I had held onto for so long would be shattered and...you'd disappoint me – and a part of me knew that I wouldn't have been able to cope with that. So...I guess I should say I'm sorry – for doubting you."

There was a slight pause as Jack looked back at her, a small smile appearing on his features. Maleen didn't know that he was smiling because of the way she had spoken – and the way she had spoken was exactly the same as her mother used to do when she was sorry about something; and that was something, deep down, that he would always secretly love.

And, for some reason, it reminded him of something. Just one night, many years ago, he had been lying under the stars with Maleen on one side of him and Emily on the other. They had been gazing upwards at the never ending blackness and he had told Maleen that the stars were beautiful and that, whenever he went away – delivering cargo to different countries – the same sky was always above him. That when she looked up at the stars, he would be doing exactly the same thing; looking at exactly the same ones. That sky was what connected them; what closed off those hundreds of miles and made them seem so much closer together. Jack still couldn't believe that he had ever been so...happy with just staying still. Staying on just one island with the same people, doing the same things; nothing ever changing in his life - he didn't believe that he could have ever done that; not after everything he had been through since that day he had left. Maleen would only have been small; five perhaps? Maybe less? Now that he came to think of it, he had no idea how old she was now. He looked at her, curious and guessed about fifteen; give or take a few years.

He couldn't believe how fast she had grown up.

A young woman, she was; or thereabouts and somehow he had missed everything. Because of one trip to Africa. One trip that changed his entire life forever.

Mistakes had been made in Jack's life – and many of them too – but at least he still stood firmly on two feet and had some hope at a future. A future of piracy that he could not avoid; full of dishonesty and thievery and bargaining...

And Jack wouldn't have wished for it any other way. Why would he? It was what he was used to, it was what he was good at...in some ways...and now there was a small light that lit up whatever darkness had been following him.

Maleen.

Jack had never believed he could love someone as much as he loved her. But it was a different kind of love of that he had for the rest of womankind. He cared greatly for her merely because he was his daughter – and had done ever since the first time he had held her in his arms.

Of course he would never tell a soul his innermost thoughts; not even Maleen who, he knew, would keep them a secret. Jack wanted to be forever thought of as a heroic figure; even if he wasn't. He wanted 'The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow' to carry on for generations – mostly because it sounded good.

But the thing that warmed him the most inside was the fact that his daughter hadn't pushed him away; even after those lies he told her those many years ago. After going back on his promises and breaking her heart in numerous places, she still went looking for him, never giving up and still embraced the thought of him just standing there, beside her; she _wanted_ him to be there – after everything – and that was something that made him smile.

Jack glanced down at her once again and found that she looked troubled; her expression showing she was thinking hard about something.

"Why did you leave?" She asked, not angry; confused, "and why didn't you come back again, like you promised?"

Jack chuckled, "That's a long story, sweetheart..."

"I still want to hear it," Maleen answered, "you owe me an explanation, at least."

He looked down at her for no more than a second before looking out to sea; bringing back all the memories he had tried hard to forget. This would be the last time, though, he promised himself – and Maleen had been right; he did owe her at least that much.

"Well, I suppose it all began on the _Wench_..." He began.

Maleen's eyes sparkled brightly and her lips curved upwards into a smile as Jack began to paint the picture of what had happened on that last day in Port Royal. She listened intently to the words he spoke and memories of her own came flooding back as he explained; memories of when he had been saying goodbye to her, and when he had been stood on his ship looking so sad and lost.

And he was her father – hers alone to share with no one – Captain Jack Sparrow.

And as she listened to his voice, and the sun began to rise higher and higher into the sky, Maleen realised that she was, for one of the few times in her life, truly happy.

Little did she know that what the future had in store for her wouldn't keep that smile on her face for long.


	31. Chapter 31

**EPILOUGE**

Captain Jack

It was sunny, as per usual, when Jack prepared for what he was about to do.

He was standing on the main deck of his ship – The _Wicked Wench_ - knowing what was happening; and hating every minute of it.

Jack had only discovered what he had actually agreed to the day before. He had been standing in Beckett's office, a glass of Port in one hand, and asked a simple, innocent question.

"What exactly will I be transporting?" Were the exact words he had used.

On that first day; the day Jack had agreed to the deal, Beckett had told him it was cargo he would be shipping to Africa – he hadn't imagined it would be anything like this.

Because it wasn't cargo. Cargo was items – food or valuable things that could last for centuries, being passed from one hand to the other, down through the generations.

But this wasn't cargo.

These were people.

People with families and pasts and futures yet to discover. People who were skinny and shackled with bones easily visible underneath their dark skin. People who were forcibly making their way into the _Wicked Wench_'s hold.

It wasn't right.

Jack stood, unmoving, as he watched the line of slaves shuffle their way into the hold. His brown eyes were dark – sinister - as he witness the iniquity that was going on around him.

He knew it wasn't right, but he had a plan. As soon as he discovered the truth, Jack's witty mind had begun to form it.

He knew exactly what he was going to do, but he also knew the consequences that might follow his actions.

"I see your family have come to see you off again," Beckett observed, appearing behind Jack so suddenly he jumped slightly; and making him loose his train of thought.

"Ah yes, of course," He answered, trying desperately to keep the feelings that were surging underneath his exterior under control, "Why wouldn't they?"

Jack looked over the side of his ship to see Emily and Maleen standing on the dock. He had asked specifically for the slaves to boarded so his daughter couldn't see what was going on. He and Emily had agreed that it wouldn't be right for her to see something so terrible at such a young age...

They waved to him, and he smiled back. He had wanted to tell Maleen everything – about what his plan was, and the possibility that he wouldn't return – but he thought it best not to. She was only six years old; she wouldn't understand.

She had even asked to come with him earlier that day – in the morning, to be precise, when he was saying goodbye to her – but, of course, he had to say no. There wasn't any way at all that she could come with him. He had even lied to her - for her own good, of course – and told her that he wouldn't be long just before boarding the ship. He couldn't let her young eyes see anything as wrong as this.

And as for the consequences...he didn't want his daughter to play a part in those.

If he was caught, that would be the end. There would be punishments and possibly death – but Jack was hoping that he wouldn't get caught at all.

If he could get away...if he could just get far enough away when Beckett heard of what he was about to do, there was a possibility that he could make it; that he would be able to sneak back home and take Maleen and Emily away with him to safety.

But then, of course, there would still be the risk of Beckett chasing after him. Even if he did manage to get Maleen and Emily aboard the _Wench_ they would still have to keep running away. They would still have to hide from Cutler Beckett and the rest of the East India Trading Company.

Because what Jack was planning to do was risky – very risky; few people would be brave enough to do as he was going to. But it was an act of conscience; and Jack knew he couldn't just stand by and watch. There was something inside of him refusing to transport those slaves and sell them on. He couldn't do it – and that was why he was risking everything in order to do what he thought was right.

He watched as the hatch was lowered into place and locked; the images of the slaves still clear in his mind. It made Jack think – what kind of a world was it becoming? What kind of a world would his daughter grow up in? There was no way of finding out.

"I bid you farewell," Jack finally said, turning to Beckett and shaking his hand; smiling to hide his irritation.

"I shall see you when you return, I hope."

"Until then." He nodded.

He exited after that and a few minutes later, after checking that Cutler Beckett had made his way off the ship, Jack set sail and the _Wicked Wench_ pulled away from the dock.

He waved for a short while – some of his crew doing the same for even less a time – and smiled to show Maleen that everything was okay. He didn't know that his act was failing him at that moment, even though he could feel it deep down inside of him.

Because as he looked at his sweet daughter's face, he knew there was a strong possibility that he would never see her again.

'_You've lied to her, Jack,_' He thought, involuntarily; his smile fading, '_You know full well that you're not going to return to her..._'

But there was no arguing with the voice inside his head. There was no way of telling what would happen to him. He may return; he may not – only time would tell.

So, with that, he turned his back on them – turning his back on the past – and concentrated on the sea before him as well as the task at hand...

And trying as hard as he could to ignore the aching feeling in his heart.

The journey to Africa was a long and tiring one.

It took a few months for Jack and his crew to make port, and in those few months Jack kept his secret fairly close to his chest.

But when the day came – the day he would set his plan into action – of course, Jack had to let slip what he had been planning.

He announced it to the ship and told them what to do, but most were confused by his command and hesitant in helping – so much so that Jack ended up doing most of the work himself.

"God bless you," Most of them said as Jack freed them from the cramped storage hold. The words spread a warmth inside of him; one that convinced him he was doing the right thing.

"Could you do with an extra hand?" One asked, as Jack placed the key in the chains that were tied tightly around the poor man's wrists. He looked stronger than the others; more muscular with fewer bones visible, and he was a little taller than Jack. His skin was extremely dark; darker than coffee, almost black; and he was stripped to the waist, wearing no more than a pair of cut-off trousers made of very simple material.

Jack looked him up and down once involuntarily, before looking at his face, smiling.

"Could I ever, mate," He answered, and handed him the last spare key, "What's your name?"

"Pedro," He replied, "Pedro Golding."

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack nodded; then held out a hand to him, "Nice to meet you, mate."

They set free every slave and in the end it was Jack and Pedro who did most of the work. Most of the crew members who had agreed to help dropped out after about an hour – some of them disappearing completely. Jack knew that it was dangerous letting his crew slip away from him, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He was nearly finished with his task; if they told Beckett now, there was nothing he could do to stop them.

But he had a few months, at least. It would take the same amount of time to get back to Port Royal, and for the message to be delivered – and then after that, Cutler Beckett had to come after him; and that could take the same amount of time.

So Jack had a year, at the very most...

But that time had already began to slip away – quicker than Jack could have ever expected.

Pedro stuck with Jack when he decided to set sail again – which, honestly, wasn't any more than a day later. He had no family, no home, no job and no money; so honestly didn't see the point in staying in Africa. Jack agreed instantly – glad to have an extra helping hand aboard his ship.

But even as he agreed to it, Jack had a feeling that it was a mistake. If they were caught by Beckett aboard ship, then the rest of his crew would no doubt suffer the same treatment as he for not stopping him or agreeing to it – and that was a fate he wasn't willing to give to a man like Pedro. He seemed a nice man, and Jack felt bad for giving him an almost certain future; an awful future, at that.

It was four months later when it happened.

Jack knew it was coming – knew by some means that there was a higher probability of this happening than his hope. There had only been a slim chance that he would get away – and that chance had almost disappeared all together when Jack saw the ship.

They had made port on a small island that was a only a day's sail away from Port Royal and Jack was planning to collect Emily and Maleen in the next week or so. His plan was to keep a low profile whilst sailing around the area for a while before showing up in Port Royal one night and sneaking his family on board with him – sailing away again as quickly as possible.

But all of those plans disappeared when Jack saw that ship – the ship he knew and had been afraid of for the past four months.

Beckett's Ship; the _Edeavour_.

He had been walking alone on the dock, counting the change he had in his pocket whilst Pedro and the few remaining members of his crew – more had left a few months before – had a drink at a local bar. Jack had been on his way to them when he saw it; and when his eyes rested on the all-familiar sails and deck and cannons, he stood unmoving; frozen in fear.

'_They're here._'

His instinct reaction was to run, of course – to run and keep on running – but their ship was nowhere near ready to sail and his crew would not yet be ready to leave their precious drinks of port and rum and whisky.

But there was no time to think of another escape route because an all familiar voice sounded behind him in the shadows.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, you've arrived at last," Beckett said, appearing behind Jack and making him jump, yet again; although he showed no signs of being the slightest bit shocked.

"Hello Cutler, how nice of you to stop by..." He searched for an innocent and sociable subject to discuss, "...I wasn't expecting to see you in this area."

"And that was precisely why you came here."

"Now, what makes you say that?" Jack said; then smiled.

Beckett looked at him for a moment; his eyes dark narrow and pitiless. They studied Jack; seeing something in him that hadn't been there before.

"How did you know you'd find me here?" Jack asked after Beckett didn't answer his previous question. He stared back into those dark eyes, trying to think of a way to get out of the situation unharmed.

"I have agents, Jack, you should know that –" Jack nodded "– and many rumours have been circulating the area about you."

"Which rumours? I would very much like to hear them but unfortunately I seem to have avoided them all."

Jack smiled, trying to reach Cutler Beckett's sense of humour and failing. Those eyes just kept on staring into him.

"I've been told that you have been disobeying orders," He finally said; his eyes staring directly into Jack's.

"Oh yes? Who told you that?"

"I don't believe that's relevant at the moment," He answered. There was a pause as he waited for Jack to interject with another witty comment, but the captain said nothing, "I have to say I'm disappointed in you; but an act like this, as you must know, will not go unpunished."

"Isn't there a possibility that we could come to some arrangement?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr Sparrow. In other circumstances, I suppose I could. But something this drastic cannot be tolerated. I will make sure that you pay for every ounce of my time and money that you have wasted in your betrayal."

And after that, Jack could do nothing. There were no words that could be spoken, or actions that could be taken. Beckett wouldn't change his mind about what he had planned to do.

A few of Beckett's men had appeared behind him as he said those last few words to Jack. Only one was recognisable; the other two were complete strangers to Jack – but he wasn't really concentrating on the men's faces. There were other things on his mind.

This was what he had been dreading; his punishment for the good deed he had done.

"Put the man in irons," Beckett ordered, not turning to face the officers he was talking to, "and then set his beloved _Wench_ afire – and make sure he watches as she sinks to the depths –" He took a step closer to Jack and carried on in a whisper "– And don't worry, Jack; I'll make sure that your family is seen to as well. I'm prepared to make sure that all happiness is taken from you. You will regret what you did for the rest of the few days you have left to live."

And then he moved away as the officers manacled Jack; who was stood frozen once again, but this time he was scared for different reasons.

Beckett would go after his family; and Beckett was always true to his word.

A few moments later, in irons, standing on the dock in silence; Jack watched as his treasured ship was set alight in front of him, a couple miles out to sea. He was forced to stand and witness the flames destroy her deck, her ropes, her bow and stern.

And he could do nothing, nothing at all, to stop it as the crisp white sails vanished beneath the waves – except stand there in silence and watch the only thing he had left in the world destroyed right before his eyes; thinking of nothing but his family and the trouble he had put them in.

Afterwards, Jack was taken back to Port Royal and shackled from neck to ankle.

There was no mistaking the pain in his eyes; but there was also numbness there to. His eyes were dark, but glazed; seeing nothing before him except the visions in his head – the visions of his family; who would soon perish, as his ship, for something that he had done.

Beckett had Jack forcibly thrown into a prison cell – a dark one, at that, with so little light that he could hardly see a thing. He lay there, limp, his eyes closed; preparing for any punishment that was yet to come.

Jack didn't believe he deserved the punishment for setting free the slaves – what he had done was right; no questions asked – but he did feel that his plan had had many loop holes; ones that he was careless enough to discard.

He hadn't been careful enough. If he had made sure that there was no chance whatsoever that he would be caught in doing his deed, Jack knew he would have been able to save himself, his ship, and, more importantly, his family.

Jack had no idea how long it had been before Beckett returned.

As he opened the door, the stream of candle light that poured into the room of which Jack had been encaged, cast a rather menacing silhouette of Cutler Beckett across the stone floor.

And that was when he branded him.

Beckett did it himself, of course, to maintain an appearance of conviction and certainty towards his views. He took no pity on Jack whatsoever; getting on with his job and taking longer than needed in doing so in order to direct his anger towards Jack; causing extra pain and suffering just because he felt like it.

"You know you deserve it, Jack," He said, before closing the door once again, blowing out the candles as he left; plunging the whole cell into gloom.

And Jack sat there, in the darkness of his cell and in the pain of his injuries and guilt; unable to do anything at all.

Other than sit and wait for his final day to come.

Three days – that's how long it was.

Jack didn't know it though; he had been thrown into the deepest of prison cells and little light could reach him because of it. In those three days he had done nothing but sit in the dark and think; his hunger and thirst constantly growing and the pain in his arm growing all the more. There was nothing else for him to do _but_ think – nobody visited. Jack presumed he was being left to suffer and die; having no food or water brought to him – and that was exactly why he was shocked when he heard the jangle of keys being turned in a lock.

Jack looked towards the cell doors from where he was sitting – leaning against the wall with his legs stretched out front of him – and wasn't truly surprised to see a silhouette looming there; man-like with broad shoulders and slightly baggy clothing. Jack assumed it was Beckett at first, but after a moment's pause for thought he realised that the man was taller than he; and therefore had to be taller than Cutler Beckett.

Jack also noticed that the figure was somewhat familiar to him, but with the fogginess of his mind due to the lack of food and water he had been getting in those three days there was no way of him knowing who it may be...

Until, that is, Jack's eyes adjusted.

And he knew exactly who he was looking at.

"Hello Jackie," Said an all familiar voice, "Ready to get out of here?"

Jack smiled one of his best Captain Jack smiles; "Am I ever." He said weakly and leant his head back on the wall behind him before reaching upwards as his father gave him a hand up.

"Good to see you again," Jack said as Teague Sparrow unshackled him; he glanced up and smiled ever so slightly.

"As always," Teague answered, dropping the final chain to the ground, "Now get out of here; and don't come back."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Jack smiled.

And after a quick father-son embrace, Jack fled from the prison – but didn't get as far away from Port Royal as he could - not yet. There was one more thing he needed to do before hand...

Jack looked at his beloved _Wicked Wench_ that lay on the seabed beneath the waves. Her sails still moved as they had once done above the surface – but it was no longer because of the wind. It was the water that was causing it, and it somehow didn't have the same effect.

The _Wench_ was unmoving as it lay on the sand; meaning that the freedom that Jack desperately wanted – needed – wasn't going to be given to him unless she rose from the depths. She resembled freedom to Jack – as that was exactly what he wanted.

But there was nothing else that Jack had to live for now except his ship. There was nothing else waiting for him above the waves, back in Port Royal, nothing else that he felt needed him.

And Jack only knew this, because of the words Beckett had whispered in his ear. They would be so insignificant on their own – but together, their meaning was clearer than glass.

In those three days that Jack had lay in the darkness of his cell, he had known all along what Beckett would be doing. He presumed he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate his family – wouldn't care that Maleen would be turning seven at some point in the near future – and therefore, by the time he had either managed to escape, or his final day came, there would be nothing else that would be waiting for him.

Well, Emily had been right. He wasn't coming back – was never going to. Beckett had found him; like she warned he would. At the time, her lack of confidence in him had been slightly hurtful; now Jack knew something more about what being hurt felt like.

There was no point in going back now, anyway. She was gone, Maleen was gone; so what else did he have left to live for?

Beckett had done it intentionally, Jack was sure; made it so that there was no real reason to escape. His career was demolished, along with those whom he loved – and the rest of his life would be haunted by the fact that there was nothing he could ever do with the new brand he had on his arm.

He looked down at it – still under the waves of the sea around him – and felt the sting that it gave him. Still tender.

There was only one thing left to do now.

After racing back up to the surface for another lung full of air, Jack swam down to his beloved _Wench_ and began to dig.

Jack lost track of time after a while. He didn't count the numerous times he went up to the surface for air and he didn't take notice of all the energy he was using to try and raise the _Wicked_ _Wench_ to the surface – with no accomplishment.

His hands and lungs and limbs all ached with the effort of trying. He scraped and dug and pushed as hard as he might, but still Sparrow's ship did not budge.

He was willing to sacrifice his own life in order to get her afloat again. Without a ship, there was nothing waiting for him above the waves – as he had thought so many times when he was swimming underneath them. That was all that had kept him going this long.

So when he finally did give up; realising that the _Wench_ wasn't going to move at all and there was no point in wasting any more of his time; Jack just stayed there, looking at her.

Looking at her white sails and imagining them billowing free in the wind above.

Looking at her hull and imagining her afloat on the waves – not in the darkness of the seabed that lay so far below.

And there really was nothing he could do.

Involuntarily, Jack closed his eyes.

What would his father think? He couldn't help but wonder. Would he mourn the loss of his branded son? Or had he been ashamed when he had helped him escape from his darkened prison cell?

Jack would never know. He had no plan to go back up to the surface again; there was no point. He couldn't escape from the devilish eyes of Beckett and his men, so if he didn't die here, he would surely die as they had intended him to – with a rope around his neck, in front of a crowd of people, or in a pitch-black prison cell with no food or water.

And just when Jack thought it was all nearly over – that he would no longer have to be ashamed of the pirate life he had so narrowly avoided – he felt a strength pulling him upwards.

He thought nothing of it at first, but found it hard to ignore when it got stronger and stronger and finally...

Jack instinctively sucked in the sweet air that was suddenly around him and found he was grateful for such a simple thing. Water was dripping from his clothes as he shrunk to his knees, exhausted, now unable to understand why he had suddenly been willing to give up his own life. Death was something that most people preferred to avoid.

He caught his breath and coughed up what little water he had collected in his lungs, and when happy that he was strong enough, clambered up to his feet, now wondering how on earth he managed to suddenly be out of the water.

But as he stood, he came face to face with someone he had only heard rumours of previously; someone that he had never dreamed he would ever lay eyes on.

Because as his feet hit the wood beneath him for a second time, he lifted his head to take a look at his surroundings...

And found himself staring straight into the eyes of Davy Jones.

And in those next few moments, Jack made the riskiest deal he had ever done in his entire life so far; not knowing that his beloved ship the _Wicked_ _Wrench_ – or rather, the _Black Pearl_ as it would later be known – would later be stolen from him.

He didn't know that after hearing of the treasure of Isle De Muerta, and setting out to find a crew in Tortuga that his chosen first mate would organise a mutiny and maroon Jack on a desert island.

He didn't know that after escaping the island and becoming determined to get back his ship and regain his post as Captain, he would come across his daughter.

And he had no idea that he would be standing on the bow of a ship next to her, with the rising sun before him, telling her the story of exactly what happened those eight years ago...


End file.
